The Village Guardians Chapter 2 Joy and Shadows
by Dr. Mack Foxx
Summary: All is well in the peaceful mountain village of Gardev. Dr. Mack Foxx has gotten more used to his Gardevoir form over the last few years and finally feels at peace in his new home; however, the dark shadows from his past are about to catch up to him...
1. Section 1

The Village Guardians

**The Village Guardians**

A series of Pokémon fan-fictions written by Philip "Dr. Mack Foxx" Byard and Aaron "Aaraboga Jones" Byard

The Sequel to "The Village Guardian," "Project Omega" and "The Final Strike" written by Philip "Dr. Mack Foxx" Byard with some help from Aaron "Aaraboga Jones" Byard

This is a work of fan-fiction and may not be modified or sold under any circumstances.

Original Story, Characters and all other Original Content are Copyright 1987-2008 Philip "Dr. Mack Foxx" Byard and Aaron "Aaraboga Jones" Byard

Pokémon and all related content and characters are Copyright 1994-2008 to Nintendo, Game Freak, Creatures and The Pokémon Company

Contact Information

To Contact Dr. Mack Foxx

To Contact Aaraboga Jones

With all that said and done, I hope you will enjoy this series of stories.

-Dr. Mack Foxx

**The Village Guardians**

**Chapter #02: Joy and Shadows**

**-26-**

"Finished at last!" thought Warren as he slid his black and gold fountain pen back into his left suit pocket. The old mayor of Gardev had finally put his signature on the last piece of paperwork from what had been quite a monstrous pile of forms. He had been signing and reviewing papers for hours and hours this day and over the last few weeks.

"At least that's the last of that paperwork for quite a while," thought Warren with triumph as he stood up from his fine, wooden desk. He checked a nearby clock: the time was 7:30 in the evening. He stretched and let out a loud yawn as he turned off his desk lamp, slowly left the office and softly closed the door. He walked down the hallway towards the kitchen, wondering what kind of leftovers he might be able to snatch for a bedtime snack. As he walked down the hallway, the sound of soft music soon came into his ears.

"Hmmm…" thought Warren, "What have we here?" The old mayor took a left turn down another hallway. The music seemed to be coming from the ballroom on the other side of the mansion. He continued walking down the hallway and sure enough, the gentle music got louder and louder. Warren then remembered just what was going on as he rounded a corner and stopped, staring into the ballroom. The walls were covered with huge, colored tapestries and the large windows gave a wonderful view of the surrounding Gardev Mountains as well the star-filled night sky. There, he saw Mack and Aura, dancing on the dark oak floor as a waltz played loudly from a nearby stereo with large speakers.

"Ah," thought Warren, "Of course." He remembered how the Guardians of Gardev would dance for a few hours almost every evening before going to their bedroom for the night. Mack and Aura paid no attention to Warren as they danced. Nor did they notice the master chef, Agatha, as she leaned on another doorway about fifty feet across the room from where Warren stood. She was watching and admiring the winged Gardevoirs as they stepped and twirled about the ballroom to the music. For the Guardians, the evening and the night were the only times they had to themselves. Mack and Aura were often busy throughout the day helping the locals. Plus, Aura still had much to teach Mack about Gardevoir history and traditions. Nevertheless, they cherished every moment they got to spend with each other, which, in this case, was often the entire day. Mack had learned that married Gardevoirs and Gallades were almost constantly at each others' sides throughout the day. Aura smiled and blushed, as did Mack, as they held onto each other, stared into each other's eyes and kept dancing.

"Glacian will be thrilled with this," thought Warren with a smile, "Mack and Aura are so deeply in love…" A loud scream of anger from behind Warren, down the hallway, startled the old Gardev mayor and Agatha. Warren knew very few people or Gardevoirs who would show such a display of anger.

"Whereas Anna and Simon are still fighting," thought Warren. He glanced back at the Guardians: they kept dancing and probably had not heard a thing.

"Well, I'm going to my room," said Agatha with a loud yawn across the way, "I'm going to make crepes for breakfast and I need some sleep, no matter how wondrous the Guardians are."

"Have a pleasant evening, Agatha," said Warren as Agatha walked out of the ballroom and out of sight down the hallway. Warren turned around and started walking down the corridor, homing in on the epicenter of Anna's tantrum.

"Now what's going on?" grumbled Warren to himself. He stopped walking just as he came across one of the large game rooms in the mansion. This particular room was filled with all kinds of arcade machines from somewhat older videogames, to pinball tables and even a few Ski-Ball machines. Warren had collected these machines over the decades, mostly for visiting grandchildren. Oddly enough, Warren had impeccable aim and never lost a duel of Ski-Ball. Simon and Anna were standing in front of one of Warren's favorite William's Company pinball tables.

"Read 'em and weep," said Simon with a big grin on his face as he pointed at the LED score indicator, "567,345,000 and the number one slot on Funhouse! You didn't even get in the Top 5!"

"I can't beat you at anything!" said Anna with disgust.

"Don't feel too bad;" said Simon with sympathy, "I've been playing these games since before you were born. It's only natural that I have an edge."

"I guess that means I've been knocked down to second place," laughed Warren. The young Gardevoir and ancient Kabutops turned around to face the old mayor.

"Ah, good evening," said Simon respectfully, bowing slightly.

"Hello, Warren," said Anna with some embarrassment.

"You know Anna," said Warren, "I heard you scream from clear on the other side of the mansion."

"Was she off-key again?" asked Simon with a smirk. Anna looked down and scowled at the smug Kabutops.

"Anna, you really need to learn to control yourself," said Warren as he tapped his right foot, "You lost your temper over a round of pinball? Anna, it is just a game. Quite frankly, I'm surprised anyone beat my top score on Funhouse. Jake has been trying to crack my record for years now."

"I'm sorry, Warren," said Anna as she bowed her head in remorse, "It won't happen again."

"Okay, Anna," said Warren with a nod, "Maybe another game will cheer you up? Well, that or some of Agatha's leftover cookies might do the trick."

"No thank you," said Anna politely.

"Very well, I'm off to bed," said Warren, "You two don't stay up all night, okay? Have a nice evening."

"Goodnight, Warren!" said Anna happily as Warren left the room.

"See you in the morning, old friend," said Simon. Anna glanced at a large Atari machine in the back corner of the dimly-lit room. This particular videogame was almost two decades old with a pair of plastic pistols plugged into it: one red and one blue. Anna figured that surely Simon would have a hard time with an intense first-person shooter.

"Simon, I challenge you to a game of Area 51!" declared Anna. Simon looked up at Anna with disbelief.

"You want to try that one? I've already beaten you at every machine in the entire mansion," said Simon.

"Except that one," said Anna with a grin, "And why don't we make things interesting? Say, a bet?" Simon grinned at Anna, figuring that the young Gardevoir was about to step right into a trap: one that she had just set up herself.

"Alright," said Simon, "If I win, you must spend the next year training under me. It will be brutal, it will be difficult, but maybe I might be able to whip you into shape."

"Okay," said Anna, "But if I win…"

"Here it comes…" thought Simon with dread.

"…You have to play dress-up with me!" said Anna with a grin.

"I accept!" declared Simon with determination.

"Same here!" said Anna forcefully as the two combatants marched towards the classic Atari arcade game.

"So, how will this challenge of yours work?" asked Simon.

"Simple," said Anna as she picked up the blue, plastic pistol and held it in her hands, "The one with the highest score at the end of the game wins. Take as many continues as you need, Simon." Anna smirked at the old Kabutops, thinking she would surely beat him this time.

"I only need one credit," said Simon as he used his limited psychic abilities to lift the red, fake pistol out of its holster and into the air, "Good thing these games are all in Free Mode. You'd never have enough quarters to last through this game and even have a chance to best me."

"We'll see!" said Anna with great confidence, "I've been practicing for a long time."

"Shame, shame, Anna," said Simon with spite, "Playing a game you were far too young to play."

"Shut up and get ready to lose!" said Anna as the game started.

"Indeed," said Simon, "One turkey shoot coming right up…" For an hour, their duel continued vigorously and ferociously. The sound of digital gunshots and explosions filled the game room. Some time later, around 9:12 PM, Mack walked to the game room with Aura in his arms, drawn by the noise of Area 51 as well as Anna and Simon's constant shouting.

"Oh, bother…" said Mack as he held Aura close.

"At least they're getting along," said Aura with a blissful smile, "Well…to some degree, anyway."

"Ha! You're 2,000 points behind me!" said Simon.

"You haven't beaten me yet!" shouted Anna. Mack and Aura chuckled warmly. Aura blushed deeply as her gaze fell on her mate's face.

"Let's go to bed," whispered Aura. Mack gazed at his and Aura's gold wedding bands: he smiled and nodded.

"As you wish, my princess…" said Mack tenderly. Aura giggled as her blushing mate carried her down the hallway and towards their room. Anna and Simon continued to shout as their winner-take-all war continued on and on throughout the night. Back in Warren's room, the old mayor was climbing into bed.

"Why did I get that Area 51 machine anyway?" said Warren to himself, deep in thought, "Oh, yes…I promised Jake I would get it if he got straight A's in 9th grade." Warren soon fell asleep, wondering whether Simon or Anna would emerge victorious.

**-27-**

It was well into the morning by the time things had started to wind down in the game room, deep in Warren's mansion. The result of Anna and Simon's alien-blasting duel was stunning and downright amazing.

"This is impossible…" grumbled Simon, "You beat me by a mere 100 points Anna, and that means…"

"Yes!" said Anna with triumph, "I get to play dress up with you!" Simon let out a heavy sigh.

"Oh, joy… Pure happiness…" muttered Simon with sarcasm, "So, how long will my humiliation and despair last?"

"Just one day," said Anna, "And then you can train me."

"Pardon?" asked Simon with surprise, "One day? I figured you would toy with me for at least the next week. Besides, why do you want my training, anyway?"

"Well, I figured six months of training from you is worth a trade of six days of you walking around in a dress and makeup," said Anna.

"I ask again: why do you want me to train you?" asked a perplexed Simon. Anna bowed her head and frowned.

"Like you said before, Simon," said Anna solemnly, "My temper is a big problem for me. I'm hoping your training will help me control it better. I want to be at my very best the day I marry Enrique and I need your help." Simon nodded with understanding.

"Then it is settled," said a determined Simon, "I'll be happy to train you. I will remind you though, that the next six months are going to be very difficult and very tough on you. Are you sure this is what you want?" Anna nodded.

"Yes," said Anna. Simon smiled.

"In all my years, I never thought you, of all Pokémon, would want my help," said Simon with amazement.

"Yep!" said Anna as a big, evil grin spread upon her face, "Now then, let's go pay a visit to Makoto. She has all kinds of fun and cute stuff in her attic." Simon groaned.

"Well, one day of humiliation is worth getting Anna in shape," thought Simon as he followed after the young Gardevoir, "I can only hope and pray this day moves by quickly." Simon could only imagine the horrors that awaited him once he and Anna had arrived at their destination. Meanwhile, Mack and Aura were on their way to the dining room. As usual, Warren was waiting for them. He smiled as the Guardians entered the room hand in hand and then carefully took a seat at the table. As usual, William jumped up to the top of a stack of old phonebooks that were piled atop a chair.

"Good morning, my friends," said Warren as he smiled, "Did you have a nice night?" Aura smiled and nodded.

"That's always the case," said Mack happily, "So, any news?"

"Not so much," said Warren, "Except for the unusually dry weather we've been having this summer."

"I know what you mean, Warren," said Aura with some concern, "It hasn't rained for over a month now."

"Indeed," said Warren, "That being the case, I may need the two of you to be on watch for forest fires until we get some decent rainfall around here." Agatha walked into the dining room with her usual bright smile as she put down trays of fresh crepes, freshly-whipped butter and homemade blackberry jam.

"Thank you very much," said a delighted Aura.

"Yes, thank you," said a smiling Mack and Warren in unison.

"My pleasure," said Agatha happily as she left the dining room and made her way back to the kitchen.

"I just wonder why it's been so dry," said Mack as he loaded up his plate. He was looking forward to this fancy breakfast, but the unusual weather was really starting to make him worry. He couldn't imagine how he and Aura would be able to put out a fire, let alone contain one on their own.

"This does happen every four years or so," said Warren, "We just need to be on guard in case a fire is spotted, especially if there's one near the village." William wasn't concerned about fires: he was more worried about not getting any breakfast.

"Mack!" said William impatiently.

"What?" asked Mack as he looked down at his plate. He had not been paying attention and now had most of the crepes on his plate in one giant stack.

"Are you really that hungry, dear?" giggled Aura. Mack laughed nervously as he took most of the food off his plate, putting it back on the serving tray. Aura smiled as she used her power of telekinesis at float some of the luscious crepes onto William's plate with a few blobs of fresh jam and butter on top as well.

"There you go, little cutie," said Aura as she smiled at William. The Pikachu squeaked with delight as he dove right into his fabulous food face first. Meanwhile, to say the least, Simon was certainly having no picnic as Anna led him upstairs into Jake and Makoto's attic.

"This is the place!" said Anna with delight. To say that Simon was uneasy was an understatement. All the trunks and boxes in the attic were sealed tight, so he had no clue what to expect. Anna giggled and smiled as she opened one of the trunks. The fluffy jungle of pink frills that erupted from the trunk was almost enough to give Simon a heart attack.

"Oh, no! Not that!!" pleaded Simon. Anna laughed sinisterly as she pulled a pink ball gown, covered with pink, lace frills out of the chest. The dress had long, puffed sleeves and a full skirt with layer upon layer of pink petticoats underneath.

"Remember our deal, Simon;" said Anna sadistically as she brought the dress towards Simon, cradling it in her arms, "You have to wear whatever I want for one day."

"Well, it'll have to be something else," snorted Simon.

"Fine with me," said Anna as she glanced about the room with an evil grin on her face, "I wonder if Makoto's bathing suits are still up here?" Simon's eyes opened wide.

"Okay," said Simon, giving up all resistance, "I'll wear it."

"That's a good boy," said Anna as she unzipped the dress and set it on the floor. Simon reluctantly stepped into the soft, fluffy dress. He gazed at the ceiling as Anna stepped forward and pulled the dress up his body. However, Simon's long claws and his short height turned out to be a major problem. The claws would never fit in the sleeves: the dress hung limply on his shoulders. He looked up at Anna with contempt as he stood in his pile of soft, pink fluff.

"This…" said Simon, "Will not do…" Anna nodded.

"Man, this isn't going to be as much fun as I thought…" complained Anna, "I don't think there's anything up here that will fit you."

"Indeed," said Simon, "I can't think of anyone who ever made clothes for a Kabutops."

"I don't believe this…" said Anna with a heavy sigh, "I was really looking forward to this…"

"It's alright, Anna," said Simon softly, "We couldn't have predicted this."

"I suppose," said Anna with disappointment, "Well, you may as well get going."

"Hmmm…?" said Simon: he was amazed that Anna was going to let him go so easily, "But what about our deal?"

"It just doesn't seem fair," said Anna, "You'll get to have your fun with me, but I don't get to make you pretty for even just one day." Simon let out a heavy sigh. The old Kabutops knew he was going to regret this. Simon stared long and hard at Anna.

"What are you going?" asked Anna with a worried look on her face, "If you've fallen in love with me it's too late. I'm already engaged to Enrique."

"That's not the case," said a reluctant Simon, "I gave my word of honor. I'm not going to spoil your day of fun."

"So, what are you going to do?" asked Anna with a huff.

"You'll see," said Simon with a wink as his body started to radiate a bright, white light. Anna covered her eyes. She heard soft rustling from the fluffy, pink dress as it was moved.

"Simon?" asked Anna with her hands over her eyes, "What are you doing now?" The bright light soon faded and Anna uncovered her eyes. She gasped as Simon stood before her as a male Gardevoir.

"Ah," said Simon as he looked over his Gardevoir body, "Now I can actually use Transform when I want to." Anna was absolutely flabbergasted. She looked him over closely with disbelief.

"So, whose dress is this anyway?" asked Simon, "It can't be a human's dress: it fits me too well for that. Well, except maybe for the chest. That part is a bit too loose."

"It does fit you perfectly!" said Anna with delight, "Though, I don't know who this dress belongs to. It's definitely meant for a female Gardevoir…"

"Hello, Anna!" said a friendly, feminine voice from the stairs below. Simon blushed nervously as whomever it was started climbing up the stairs.

"Hello, Sakura!" said Anna with happiness as the now-winged Gardevoir stepped up into the attic, "Where's Fredrick?"

"Oh, Fredrick's back at home. He said I could spend the day out and about while he helps straighten up our home. It's so nice to see you!" said a smiling Sakura, "How are things going?" Sakura glanced at the blushing male Gardevoir in a pink, fluffy dress.

"And who is this?" asked Sakura to Anna. Simon decided to just get it over with.

"I'm Simon," said the male Gardevoir in a very familiar, gruff voice. Sakura tried to stifle her laughter, but to no avail.

"What happened?" asked Sakura, laughing loudly, "Surely Simon isn't going to stay in the form of a male Gardevoir!"

"Simon and I had a bet," said Anna with a grin, "And he lost. So, now he gets to play dress up with me for the day!"

"So I see," said Sakura as she finally stopped laughing.

"However," said Simon, "After this, she will be spending the next six months training under me. She said herself that she wants to learn to control her temper and wants to be at her very best when she marries Enrique."

"Is this true?" asked Sakura. Anna nodded her head.

"Yes," replied Anna, "In the meantime, I'm going to have some fun here with Simon."

"Think I can join in on your little project?" asked Sakura with immense excitement.

"Yes, you may," replied Anna with devious smile.

"Only if you don't tell anyone about this!" pleaded Simon.

"Okay," said Sakura, shrugging her shoulders.

"Perfect! Now, let's get Simon dressed up and have him walk around Gardev for awhile," said Anna.

"No! You can't make me!" said Simon angrily.

"You gave your word," said Sakura, "It would be very… dishonorable for you to go back on what you said." As much as Simon hated to admit it, Sakura was right.

"Besides, once I get you all set up, no one will ever recognize you," said Anna, "Then, if you use that crazy mind barrier of yours, no one will be able to read your mind." Simon let out another heavy sigh. Anna was right though, and Simon figured he would be able to get away with this madness for the day.

"Okay," said Simon, "So, what next: a feather boa, perhaps?" Anna and Sakura giggled at Simon.

"Of course not," said Anna. Just then, Sakura took Anna aside and quietly whispered something to her. Simon glanced at the two young Gardevoirs, wondering what they were discussing.

"What do you think?" asked Sakura quietly. Anna nodded.

"I think it could work," replied Anna as she faced Simon, "You can go ahead and take that dress off, Simon."

"Am I free?" asked Simon eagerly.

"Nope!" said Anna.

"You're going to wait right here while I head back to the Gardevoir city," said Sakura, "I'm going to have a little surprise for you when I get back. See you two in a bit."

"Be back soon," said Anna with anticipation. With that, Sakura disappeared in a bright flash as she teleported away. Simon carefully took off his dress, glad to be free of his pink and fluffy prison, even if just for now. He was also very happy to find out that when he had transformed, he suddenly had the familiar white gown and pants of a Gardevoir. He could only imagine what horrible, girly fate awaited him now.


	2. Section 2

The Village Guardians

**-28-**

K-1, Mack and Aura's faithful robotic companion, was hard at work, as usual, deep in the Guardians' underground laboratory. For the last several days, the robot had been running maintenance on the complex systems of the hidden facility. All that remained was checking the status on some of the most crucial components of the laboratory.

"Central, please run diagnostics on fission/fusion generators 4 and 5," asked K-1 as he stood in front of the giant supercomputer's man control console.

"Compliance, K-1," said Central as the sound of her electronic clicks and beeps filled the room, "Status: Generator #4 is at 55 efficiency. I will order the R-25's to resume maintenance at once in a second repair attempt. Generator #5 is operating at 100 efficiency and requires no additional work. The repairs were successful." The nuclear fission/fusion generators were one of Mack's oldest inventions. They worked by splitting and fusing atoms together in an endless cycle. With another of Mack's inventions, the Thermal Converter, the high heat, generated by the constant splitting and fusing of atoms, was converted directly into electricity. The constant conversion of heat also kept the generators at a temperature of roughly 75 degrees Fahrenheit. The generators were encased in one of Mack's extremely durable metal alloys, simply called mega-alloy. It easily transferred heat to the Heat Converters and provided perfect shielding from any dangerous radiation. The full properties of mega-alloy were still not understood, but this unusual, synthetic metal proved vital for many of Mack's later inventions: for example, the complex and intricate circuitry in the S-100 Battle Armor. A close eye was kept on these nuclear generators, just in case there was an emergency. However, after several thousand years of operation, it was proven just how effective these wondrous devices were. Plus, because of how they worked, they required no fuel. They only needed to be started and the surprisingly small size of this device (Ranging in size from a golf ball to a soccer ball) made it easy to put them into virtually any machine from the _Firefox_ to the S-100 Battle Armor. As the fourth generator was shut down, Central picked up some activity at the lab entrance through one of her cameras, hidden in a wall of Warren's giant basement.

"K-1, Mack and Aura are at the front entrance with Glacian and Gloria," reported Central happily.

"Ah! I wonder what Glacian wants," said K-1. Up above, Glacian was talking with Mack and Aura while Gloria stayed at his side.

"I really think this is a perfect job for K-1," said Glacian as he and the rest of the group stepped into the hidden elevator and were soon on their way down into the lab.

"I think so, too," said Mack, "K-1 has helped me decipher codes and dead languages for many years now. In fact, code-breaking is one of the tasks he was programmed for in the first place. K-1 should be more than up to the challenge." The elevator lurched slightly as it came to a gentle stop. The door soon opened with a hiss and the group of winged Gardevoirs were then on their way to Central's main control room.

"There is so much we don't know about the Gardevoir city and it's past," said Gloria.

"Indeed," said Glacian, "The deepest area of the city archive has been sealed for centuries. No one remembers how to open the door and there is no way to break through the armored door or even the walls. Even the combined effort of hundreds of Gardevoirs was no match for the door. No one can even teleport into the room. If you try, you're always sent back outside near the door." Mack nodded his head appreciatively.

"Sounds like a psychic-proof safe," said Mack, "Still, I wonder why it was sealed in the first place."

"No one knows why," said Gloria, "There is a combination lock on the door, and no one has been able to open it."

"Apparently, my great-great grandfather, once a king of the city, ordered the room closed," explained Glacian, "But there are no records of why this was done."

"K-1 always did like mysteries, too," said Mack.

"Indeed I do," said K-1 as he stepped through the doorway to the main control room.

"I see you were listening in on us through Central's cameras again," said Mack.

"I prefer not to miss a thing," said K-1 as he fixed his gaze on Glacian and Gloria, "So, when would you like me to begin?"

"As soon as possible," said Glacian, "I've been meaning to do this for over 75 years: the ancient archive must be opened. I'm hoping there might be something in there that we can use to help track down and maybe even purify the black pendant."

"We also want to know more about the city," said Gloria, "When it was founded and even something as simple as the city's name."

"It would be my pleasure," said K-1 with anticipation, "It has been a long time since I've had a real challenge!"

"Splendid!" said Glacian with delight, "Thank you, K-1!" Gloria held out a faded old map she had been carrying at her side.

"What's this?" asked K-1 as his eyes quickly scanned the map.

"This is the only known map in the world that shows the location of the Gardevoir city," explained Gloria. K-1 saw some weird writing on the bottom right corner of the map.

"Hmmm… what's this writing?" asked K-1, "I have no records of it anywhere in my databanks."

"Neither do I," added Central, gazing at the map through one of her cameras, "I've never seen anything like it."

"No one can read this writing anymore," said Glacian with a sigh, "Maybe, if you can get into the archives, you will find a way to read this dead language."

"Alright," said K-1, "I'll do my best."

"We're showing you this map so you know the exact location of the city," said Glacian, "You have permission to teleport or fly to the city as you please. The Elite Guards have already been told of your potential arrival."

"Alright," said K-1, "Central, please teleport me to the Gardevoir city palace."

"At once," said Central happily, "Have a good time!" K-1 promptly disappeared in a bright flash.

"He's on his way?" asked Glacian. Mack nodded.

"Alert," said Central as an alarm sounded for a few seconds, "My infra-red scanners are detecting an anomaly from Mt. Terror. Smoke is also present on the long-range cameras."

"A forest fire?" asked Glacian with disbelief, "There? But…how could that happen?!"

"Maybe Cipher left some old equipment there or something?" suggested Aura. Mack nodded.

"Could be the case," said Mack.

"There is something else even more peculiar," said Central, "According to the readings from my weather sensors, the winds are blowing over the top of Mt. Terror and are spreading the fire down the hillside. Most unusual…"

"I'll say!" said a bewildered Mack, "Fires tend to travel up hillsides, not down!"

"Alert," said Central, "According to my calculations, the fire will be on the outskirts of Gardev within 72.83 hours. It is spreading very quickly."

"Any reports of thunderstorms in the area?" asked Mack.

"Negative," replied Central, "All my Doppler Radars have shown no activity for the last month."

"This is so strange…" remarked an astonished Glacian.

"Mack," said Aura, "You know what we have to do."

"I know," said Mack as he faced Glacian, "Aura and I are heading out. We'll try to stop the fire before it gets too close to the village." Glacian nodded.

"Be careful out there, Guardians of Gardev, and God be with you," said Glacian.

"Please take care of yourselves!" said Gloria as Mack and Aura ran out of the control room with great haste.

"Your highness, you are welcome to stay here with your queen, if you like," said Central, "Mack has already approved Class-9 security clearance for both of you."

"Please call me Glacian," said Glacian, "No need for such formality, but I appreciate your respect."

"'Gloria' will do just fine for me, please," said Gloria with warm laughter.

"Understood," said Central.

"Say, what is the highest security level here?" asked Glacian.

"Class-11," answered Central, "Only Mack, Aura, K-1 and myself have that level of clearance. There are many things that Mack keeps secret from even his family and closest friends."

"Like what?" asked Gloria.

"I'm afraid that information is classified," said Central.

"Very well," said Glacian.

"You have nothing to fear," said Central, "I have observed Mack for millennia. He is kind, gentle, selfless and very honorable. Much of what he keeps hidden are secrets so dark and so terrible, he made K-1, Aura and me promise to never reveal any of that information, but I can say this. An evil shadow of my creator has followed us around through every dimension we have visited so far. We fear it is only a matter of time before he reveals himself again, in this world. If that happens, we may all very well be in grave danger…"

**-29-**

Sakura arrived back at Makoto's house. Sure enough, Jake, Makoto and their daughter were glad to see her back so soon. After greeting her dear friends, Sakura climbed the stairs back into the attic. Simon shook nervously. The young, married Gardevoir was carrying a big, cardboard box in her arms.

"You got it?!" asked Anna with sheer joy.

"Yep!" replied Sakura as she set the box on the floor. Anna slowly opened the large box and giggled when she laid eyes on what Sakura had brought.

"Well?" demanded Simon the Gardevoir, "What is it?" Sakura smiled as she pulled a white, sparkling, shimmering wedding dress out of the box. It had long, puffed sleeves and white laces to close the bodice. The fabulous dress went all the way up to an ornate collar in the front and back, decorated with fine patterns. The full skirt had layer after layer of fluffy white petticoats to help it keep its shape.

"Yay!" said Anna with glee, "Simon is going to be so pretty!"

"Well, at least I'll be an overdressed Gardevoir groom," said Simon with some relief, "I can live with that."

"Oh, no," said Anna mischievously as she pulled out a pair of white slippers and a long, flowing lace veil, "You're going to be the prettiest bride in town today. Only the bride ever gets puffed sleeves and few grooms ever get a sparkling dress."

"Everything is here," said Sakura with a smile, "Including the jewelry and garter." Simon shuddered.

"How did you get all of this?" asked an amazed Anna.

"One of the seamstresses owed me a favor," said Sakura with a wink, "I had to pull a lot of strings for her to be able to get in the small group of seamstresses who got to sow Simon's suit at Mack and Aura's wedding."

"I suppose this… seamstress also knows who this dress is for?" asked Simon with a scowl.

"Nope!" replied a smiling Sakura.

"Very good," said Anna with a smirk, "I don't want anyone else to know about the day Simon was a pretty bride."

"I don't have to wear it outside, do I?" asked Simon. Much to his dismay, Anna nodded her head.

"Everyone will think you're so pretty," said Anna sadistically, "But they won't recognize you, so no one will know."

"No kidding," said Sakura as she rolled her eyes, "If the seamstresses knew this dress was for Simon, they would be over here in droves in a heartbeat."

"Still, why are you keeping this all a secret?" asked a very confused Simon. Anna smiled at the old Kabutops.

"Why not?" asked Anna, "I figure the less I embarrass you, the easier you'll be on me during my training."

"Hmmmm…" said Simon, "I'll keep that in mind, then." Anna stepped towards Simon with the dress in her hands.

"Now, it's time to get 'Dressed,' Simon!" said Anna with glee.

"That's not funny…" grumbled Simon as Anna stood before him and opened the back of the dress.

"Be careful with these, Simon," cautioned Sakura, "The seamstress only let me borrow this attire. This dress and all the accessories are going to be used in a wedding next summer."

"As you wish," said Simon as Sakura turned around and pulled a pair of golden bracelets, earrings and anklets from the box, all covered with sparkling diamonds. A gold tiara with large alternating rubies and diamonds completed the set.

"Now, take off your gown, Simon," said Anna.

"What?" asked Simon with surprise, "Are you serious?"

"Well, you can't wear a wedding dress over your gown, silly," giggled Anna. Simon groaned, but he quickly took off his white gown, throwing it to the floor out of frustration.

"Please, we're letting you keep your pants on," said Sakura.

"Besides, such a display of anger is not fit for a lovely bride to be," giggled Sakura.

"You're enjoying this too much," muttered Simon. Anna held out the ornate wedding dress as Simon stepped into it. Next, Sakura helped Anna pull the soft dress up Simon's body. Then Simon, reluctantly, slid his arms into the sleeves while staring at the ceiling and wishing he could vanish into thin air. Anna stepped behind Simon and started to lace up his dress, giggling the whole time. Simon stood still, mortified and Anna soon had laced up the wedding dress. He was trapped and sentenced to his prison of soft white satin and fluffy, white petticoats.

"Now, take off your pants, Simon," said Anna. At least grateful that his body was completely covered, he sat down on a nearby stool, facing away from the giggling Gardevoirs as he lifted his skirt and pulled off his white pants. He tossed them on top of his Gardevoir gown. Then, without actually being asked, he slid the lace garter up his right leg and onto his thigh.

"Hmmm!" remarked an impressed Sakura, "He learns quickly!"

"It's not like I have a choice," muttered Simon as he stood up and walked back towards his tormentors. Sakura knelt down and reached under his skirt, tenderly clipping the anklets in place while Anna hastily clipped the earrings and bracelets on Simon.

"At least it's… comfortable…" said Simon quietly to himself.

"Really?" asked Anna with a devious grin and a raised eyebrow. Simon blushed deeply, knowing that Anna and Sakura had clearly heard what he said.

"If the seamstresses knew Simon liked wearing a wedding dress, they would do anything to marry him," giggled Sakura.

"Which is why no one will know!" said Anna forcefully. Simon was surprised at himself: he was grateful for Anna.

"Thank you very much, Anna," said Simon.

"Hey, I'm not completely heartless," said Anna with a smirk. Before long, Simon was in his dress, slippers, jewelry and all his other accessories. Anna slid the tiara and veil into Simon's green hair to complete the ensemble.

"It's like putting the star on a Christmas tree, isn't it?" asked Sakura with a smile.

"Only more fun!" laughed Anna as she took a close look at Simon's chest.

"The bust is a bit loose," said Sakura.

"It will have to do," said Anna with a shrug, "It's not like we're going to make him put on a bra and stuff it with tissues." Simon let out a sigh of relief.

"So, what now?" asked Simon, "Gonna parade outside with me?" Anna shook her head back and forth.

"No, you need to be a bit more convincing first," said Anna, "Do you think you change your voice to something more…feminine and gentle?" Simon nodded.

"Plus, our beautiful bride needs a name," suggested Sakura. Simon coughed a few times.

"How about you call me…Alana?" asked Simon in a very striking, silvery and very convincing feminine voice.

"How did you do that?" asked a shocked Anna.

"When you've been around as long as I have, you learn a lot of interesting things," said Simon in his usual, gruff voice, "Like learning to alter your vocal cords in just the right manner."

"Then let's be on our way!" said Anna with triumph, "Come along 'Alana!' Your public awaits you."

"Okay," said Simon with the gentle, feminine voice as he followed Anna downstairs, holding the front of his skirt with his left hand.

"Sheesh," said Sakura, "Simon passes for a female Gardevoir so well, it's quite… scary."

"I know," said Simon, still with the feminine voice, "We're all going to have nightmares for months after this." They all laughed as they stepped out of the attic and before long, they were out the door and walking on the streets of Gardev. Needless to say, Jake, Makoto and their daughter weren't sure what to make of the Gardevoir bride who just suddenly walked out of the attic and through their home. They also wondered what had become of Simon: he seemed to have vanished into thin air. Jake had his suspicions, but they seemed downright ludicrous.

"Why would Simon want to dress up as a bride, anyway?" thought Jake as he shrugged his shoulders, staring out a window of his house as the three Gardevoirs walked down the street together.

**-30-**

Mack and Aura had been flying over the dense and dry forests for well over an hour now.

"We're getting close!" said Aura, flying next to her mate.

"Indeed!" said Mack, "Looks like this is going to be rough." Aura nodded. The flames were advancing quickly: the wrong way!

"I still don't understand how this happened," said Mack, "How did a wildfire start without lightning?"

"I can't imagine a ranger would be careless enough to unknowingly start a fire," remarked Aura.

"Plus this area is a wildlife sanctuary: off-limits to everyone but certified personnel," added Mack, "Camping or even riding through this terrain is illegal. Still, how is this fire able to advance towards Gardev so quickly and downhill for that matter?" A sudden, strong gust of wind from down the mountain side answered his question.

"Why, the wind is blowing the fire towards the village!" said Aura with concern. Red hot embers blew in the wind, starting more spot fires that swiftly grew in the dry forest below. Mack and Aura quickly changed course to avoid the monstrous cloud of smoke and flew back towards Gardev. After the Guardians had gone a few miles, they came to a gentle stop in the forest. Other Pokémon were panicking and running or flying away from the approaching flames as Mack and Aura folded up their wings.

"Look's like we've got our work cut out for us," said Mack. Aura smiled nervously at him.

"So, how do we stop this thing?" asked Aura, "Any ideas?"

"We'll have to make fire lines: clear out the tress and vegetation for say, a thirty yard swath. If we can deny the fire any more fuel, it will die at the bare fire lines," explained Mack. Aura looked around the forest: the trees were still fairly green but the thick brush was tinder dry.

"Alright, Aura," said Mack as he unfolded his wings, "Let's move! I'll take this side, you take the other!"

"Will do, honey!" said Aura happily. Mack ran over to Aura and embraced her, kissing her one last time before they would begin their fight against the growing wildfire. The Guardians smiled and blushed as they ended their kiss and promptly took to the air. Soon, Mack and Aura were flying just above the forest canopy. Mack, sighed, knowing that he and Aura would have to clear several miles of brush and trees, but there wasn't any other way. It would take hours for helicopters or planes to arrive on the scene. Regardless, Mack wanted to stop the immense fire in its tracks and do it quickly. Mack concentrated, focusing his power as his sapphire pendant started to glow with a bright blue light. Down below, a small swath of trees and forest was torn from the ground. The sound of moving earth and breaking trees was deafening, even drowning out the approaching roar of the fire. With a yell, Mack tore out all the trees and dry plants in one fell swoop. He threw it off about 100 yards behind him. Mack looked down as he flapped his wings, hovering over the forest; he had cleared an area about 200 yards long and 30 yards thick. He heard Aura shout and turned his gaze to his mate. She had done the same thing.

"Perfect, Aura!" shouted Mack with happiness.

"You too, Mack!" yelled Aura with a bright smile. Mack returned to his work, seeing that there were several miles to go in either direction. For hours, the Guardians cleared the land, aided by the power of their pendants. By the early afternoon, the fire line was set. Now, all Mack and Aura could do was pray. The Guardians landed on the back edge of the cleared land, right where the middle of the fire would hopefully be stopped in its tracks. Aura panted as she folded up her wings.

"That sure took a lot out of me," said Aura as she sat down on the soft ground, trying to catch her breath.

"You and me both," huffed Mack as he sat next to his lovely mate. He put his right arm around her shoulders and they watched as the approaching flames got closer and closer.

"I hope this works," said Aura as she leaned against Mack.

"So do I," said Mack, "If that fire jumps the line, we're going to have to set up another line and I don't think I have enough energy left for that."

"The power of the pendants is certainly not infinite," said Aura as she started to breathe normally and relaxed again. The roaring flames continued their merciless assault towards the Guardians, destroying everything in their path. Mack gazed towards the incoming fire and let out a heavy sigh. Though the fire itself was over 100 yards away, wind-driven red hot embers were starting to rain down at the far edge of the fine line. Aura bowed her head with dismay.

"Now what do we do?" asked Aura with despair.

"We'll have to make the line wider and fast!" shouted Mack as he jumped back on his feet. Aura didn't move.

"What's wrong, Aura?" asked Mack, "Have you given up already?" Aura smiled as she looked up at Mack. She seemed to know something her mate did not.

"Don't you feel that?" asked Aura with happiness.

"Feel what?" asked a bewildered Mack.

"Just close your eyes and concentrate," said Aura, "You're going to like this." Mack sat next to Aura and did as she said. Mack continued to focus, even as embers rained down ever closer to him and Aura. Mack smiled as he opened his eyes.

"You're right!" exclaimed Mack with delight.

"Yep!" said Aura as she stood up and embraced Mack, "We don't have to do anything more because…"

"…Because the wind is about to change," said Mack softly. Sure enough, just as more hot embers dropped only a few feet from the Guardians and into the unspoiled, but dry forest, the wind promptly shifted. Mack and Aura watched as the fire started to change direction, heading back where it came from. Up above, the giant plume of dark smoke was being blown back towards the mountains as well. The Guardians just watched the show, holding each other close. As another hour passed, the once mighty fire had choked out as it ran out of dry trees and brush.

"Thank you, God!" shouted Mack as he and Aura happily danced about the clearing. Aura laughed with sheer delight. After several minutes, they stopped their victory dance. The fire was now smoldering as a few weak flames soon burned up what was left of the dry forest. There was a low rumble in the distance behind the Guardians. They quickly turned around to see a lone thunderstorm off in the distance, quickly approaching the village and dumping lots of much-needed rain in the valley.

"Well!" said Mack as he held Aura tightly, "I guess our job is done." Aura nodded.

"The fire line was still a good idea, Mack," said Aura sweetly as she stared into her mate's eyes, "If we hadn't cleared the land, the fire surely would have devoured even more of the forest before being quenched by the opposing wind and rain." Mack glanced back at the approaching storm as a single, distant lightning bolt lit up the large, dark cloud.

"We still need to find out what started the blaze," said Mack, "Let's take flight and get out to where the fire began in the first place. It will be a lot easier to search for clues without the ground being all wet and muddy."

"Good thinking, Mack," said Aura with a smile. She and Mack hugged each other one last time before they spread their wings and took to the skies. Once in the air, Mack looked back at the advancing storm, figuring he and Aura had only an hour at most to search the burned-out epicenter of the suspicious wildfire.


	3. Section 3

The Village Guardians

**-31-**

Anna scowled as the sound of distant thunder echoed through the village, announcing the arrival of a lone thunderstorm.

"Oh, great…" muttered Anna, "Looks like we won't be able to walk around Gardev much longer."

"You really want everyone in town to see Simon like this, don't you?" asked Sakura. The two Gardevoirs and one transformed Kabutops continued their walk down one of the village streets. Simon was just glad that no one recognized him. Between being transformed into a male Gardevoir, his bridal attire and his almost disturbing ability to alter his voice, no one had the slightest idea what was going on. Any passing residents just thought Simon was a beautiful young Gardevoir, trying on and proudly showing off her wedding attire.

"Does this mean you're just about done with me?" asked Simon, hoping he would soon be free of his cross-dressing servitude.

"Certainly not!" laughed Anna, "We'll just have to move our little party indoors. Warren's mansion should be the perfect place, especially since I'll be staying there for a few more days." Simon groaned with despair.

"Well, at least you're not making me carry a bouquet," said Simon as he walked down the street with the two young Gardevoirs. Sakura giggled as she and Anna came to a stop. Simon soon realized that his comment came at a bad time for they had just been yards from the only florist shop in Gardev. Sakura ran into the flower shop while Anna kept a close eye on Simon. Simon glared into the flower shop, wishing he'd kept his big mouth closed. Moments later, Sakura emerged from the shop with a big bouquet of red and white roses.

"Here you go, 'Alana,'" giggled Sakura, "And thank you for bringing that up! After all, no bride should be without her pretty bouquet." Simon reluctantly reached out and held the flowers in his hands. Anna and Sakura looked Simon over as he stood still, seething with anger.

"Now he looks perfect!" laughed Anna.

"Are we going to Warren's house now?" asked Sakura eagerly.

"Yes we are," replied Anna with a grin as she faced Simon, "Let's go, Alana. Warren would just love to meet you." Simon grumbled as he followed Anna off towards the large mansion with Sakura right behind him.

**-32-**

K-1 had been hard at work in the accessible portion of the Gardevoir city archives. He'd spent the last several hours reading through thousands upon thousands of papers, but to no avail. The paper records only went back, at most, 542 years and only described 'Recent' history as well as information on births, weddings and deaths in the large city. Despite K-1's progress, there were still several hundred shelves full of books and cabinets full of papers to go through. K-1 returned his gaze to the large door of the sealed archive room. It looked like the entrance to a large bank safe with a large combination dial in the very center of the door. K-1 had already tried unloading his mini plasma Vulcan cannons on the door, but all he succeeded in doing was putting several large, smoking holes in the floor and ceiling as his shots were deflected off the seemingly-invincible door. To make matters worse, so far, none of the papers or old books contained any information on the dead Pokémon language. It seemed that all the books and papers in the room were written in either English or Japanese. Various symbols of the unidentified dialect were all over and around the sealed entrance of the ancient archival room. K-1 was not sure what he was going to do for as he looked over the mysterious symbols on the door, he found hundreds of them.

"Certainly not a simple language," thought K-1, "I hope it isn't something like Chinese or Japanese for that matter, it could take years to decode this without some sort of Rosetta Stone." K-1 thought back to the history as Mack's world on how a stone with the same message, written in three different languages, had been used to provide the first successful translation of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. K-1 had asked around the city earlier in the day, hoping to find some clues, but not even the oldest living Gardevoirs had ever seen the language before.

"Most problematic," thought K-1 as he switched on his long-range radio, "Central, do you hear me?"

"Affirmative, K-1," said Central, "What have you found?"

"Nothing but bad news, I'm afraid," said K-1 through his built-in radio, "The paper records I've analyzed here reveal nothing about this Pokémon language. I'm going to upload the few hundred symbols I have recorded."

"I copy," said Central, "Please proceed with the upload."

"Roger that, Central," said K-1 as he quickly sent pictures of the symbols from the sealed door. Within a matter of seconds, the transfer was complete.

"Data received," reported Central, "Now analyzing…" K-1 waited patiently as Central put all of her processing power into the task. A few minutes later, K-1 heard from Central again.

"Figure anything out?" asked K-1 eagerly.

"Negative," replied Central, "I cannot make any real sense of what you just sent me. We will need to track down the rest of the symbols. Only then will we be able to decode the language with any degree of accuracy."

"Okay, Central," said K-1, "K-1, out." K-1 turned off his transceiver and returned his gaze to the armored entryway. K-1 started to leave the room.

"So far, all I've done is found more questions than answers about this strange language. Perhaps if I scour the city, I might find more clues to help me solve this mystery," thought K-1 as he walked down one of the immense corridors of the palace and towards the surrounding city.

**-33-**

Simon stood nervously, shaking in his wedding dress and jewelry as Warren answered the front door of his home.

"Ah! Hello, Anna!" said Warren cheerfully, "May as well come inside: that thunderstorm is almost upon the village and I'm sure you and your friends don't want to end up get drenched."

"You're quite right," said Anna happily, "Thank you, Warren."

"Nice to see you again, Warren," said Sakura with a smile.

"Great to see you as well, Sakura," said Warren as his eyes fell on the blushing bride at his doorstep, "And who is this? Is she a friend of yours? Besides, why is she in wedding attire?"

"Oh!" said Anna cheerfully as she came alongside Simon, "This is Alana, one of my friends! She's just visiting. She's also kind of shy, though."

"I see, but why the wedding dress?" asked Warren.

"I'm not seeking a mate right now," replied Alana, "I had heard a lot about wedding attire in the Gardevoir city and so I just had to try some on! It's so beautiful and soft!" Simon's voice and appearance easily fooled Warren.

"You are very beautiful," said Warren with a nod, "How about you come on in before it rains? You certainly don't want to get your dress and jewelry wet."

"Very true," said Alana as she offered a curtsey, "Thank you very much, sir."

"You're very welcome, my dear," said Warren as he led Alana into his house, "My name is Warren, by the way."

"You're too kind," giggled Alana. Anna and Sakura laughed to themselves as Alana followed close behind them.

"Oh, dear… I almost forgot…" said Warren solemnly as he came to a sudden stop in his track. The old mayor now had a look of fear and great dread on his face.

"Is something wrong?" asked a concerned Anna.

"I just remembered that Agatha took the rest of the day off!" said Warren as he tried his best to not panic, "I was planning on having a grand dinner this evening with Mack, Aura and the rest of the Guardian family! Arrrg! What will I do now?! All I know how to cook is frozen food and hotdogs!" Despite Simon's embarrassing situation, he was not one to turn down helping one of his best friends. Simon, the Gardevoir bride, confidently walked up to the frantic old mayor.

"It's okay," said Alana cheerfully, "Tell you what, how about I cook something up for you and your friends?"

"You don't have to do that," said Warren as he managed to calm down, "You are mine and Anna's guest, after all."

"I insist!" said Alana with a bright smile, "I would love to cook dinner for you and your guests. I can't wait to meet the Guardians of Gardev! I've heard so much about them!"

"Well, if that's what you want," said Warren with relief, "Then by all means, go ahead. Anna? Would you please take Alana to the kitchen and have her look around there?"

"Okay, Warren," said Anna with a smile, "Follow me, Alana." Simon grinned as he followed after Anna and Sakura.

"You sure you want to be seen by Mack, Aura and Glacian?" asked Anna with concern, "What if they find out who you really are?" Simon laughed cruelly in his feminine voice.

"I just think of this as another great challenge," giggled Alana with a smirk, "I would just love to fool the Guardians, especially Glacian! Then, I can finally reclaim my honor."

"Fine time to speak of honor," said Sakura as she gazed at Simon's sparkling and shimmering wedding dress, "Especially if Glacian finds out about this or recognizes you." Simon laughed again and smirked at Sakura.

"What better way to best a superior opponent than by trickery?" asked a grinning Simon.

"So, now trickery is honorable?" asked a confused Anna.

"Um…" said Simon, "Only in the proper context."

"Sure it is," said Sakura sarcastically. The small group of Gardevoirs soon arrived in the massive kitchen. There were counters and cupboards all about the room with plenty of cutting boards, utensils and other culinary equipment all about. A pair of large, stainless steel refrigerators and stoves was on the Gardevoirs' left. To their right were a few large pantries and shelves, loaded with fine ingredients and spices.

"Wow," said Sakura, marveling at the large room, "Looks like you could feed an army and then some with all this room and equipment." Anna nodded her head, smiling.

"This house does have a few dozen bedrooms," explained Anna, "There have been plenty of times when there were easily a hundred or so guests in this home."

"Good thing we only have to prepare a meal for no more than a dozen people on such short notice," said Simon confidently.

"Speaking of which," said Anna, "How are you going to prepare food without getting your dress dirty?"

"Well, remember that Gardevoir gowns and wedding attire cannot be fouled in any way. A quick wash or rinse and drying and its as good as new," said Simon as he glanced about the kitchen, learning the exact position of the stoves, ovens, pantries, refrigerators and freezers, "Therefore, I won't have to worry at all about ruining these fine clothes. Besides, I've always been one very cautious Kabutops. I'll be fine."

"How did you know all that about Gardevoir clothing?" asked Anna. Sakura breathed a sigh of relief, remembering that what Simon said was true. Simon quickly found out where the dishes, silverware and utensils were kept.

"Mack told me not long ago," said Simon, "He also told me all about an amusing incident in his bedroom involving a rogue bottle of champagne." Anna and Sakura laughed.

"Besides," said Simon as his eyes glowed with a bright blue light, "Now that I'm a Gardevoir, even just for now, my psychic abilities have been amplified by at least a thousand-fold." Anna and Sakura took a step back as several pots and pans flew out of the cupboards and onto the stoves. The gas stoves seemed to light themselves as all kinds of food floated out of the pantries and refrigerators. The two young Gardevoirs watched with disbelief as the food practically prepared itself as floating knives, graters and spoons floated about the room.

"I don't think it's too early for a turkey dinner," remarked Simon as the symphony of cooking and preparation continued, "That old, 28 pound turkey would surely have been freezer-burned if it stayed put for much longer."

"How do you know so much about cooking?" asked Anna with amazement as the flurry of utensils and food proceeded.

"Don't you remember?" asked a laughing Simon, "I did a lot of the cooking for your's and Fredrick's wedding feast, Sakura."

"That's right!" said Sakura, "He did! Then that means this dinner is going to be awesome!"

"Isn't it the truth," chuckled Simon.

"Wow, those Gardevoir seamstresses would just love to see this," remarked Sakura as a grin spread across her face.

"Yeah," said Anna with a smirk, "He cooks like an army of master chefs and he even likes wearing a pretty wedding dress!" Simon snorted contemptuously at the pair of female Gardevoirs.

"Look! The dress is tolerable only because it's comfortable!" said Simon with a scowl, "I didn't say I liked it!"

"His mate is going to be the happiest female Gardevoir in the world!" said Anna, taunting Simon.

"That's no way to talk to a gorgeous bride!" said Simon with a grin in his 'Alana' voice, "Keep that up and there will be no desert for either of you." Sakura and Anna giggled.

"Okay," said Anna, "We're sorry, Alana."

"That's better," said 'Alana.' Sakura whispered to Anna.

"I don't care what you say: Simon may make a pretty bride, but the fact he can talk and act like one is almost frightening," said Sakura quietly to Anna. Anna nodded her head in agreement.

"It's almost like Simon is having vengeance on us for dressing him up," said Anna. Simon grinned at the two young Gardevoirs, his keen ears overhearing their conversation.

"Just acting the part," said Simon, "Now, you two run along while I get dinner ready. Everything should be ready soon and I'm going to enjoy fooling Glacian and his mate, Gloria."

**-34-**

Mack and Aura were carefully searching the burnt side of Mt. Terror for clues to how the suspicious forest fire had started. With the immense thunderstorm drawing closer, the Guardians knew they had little time. Mack was slowly walking along the burned ground right where the fire seemed to have begun.

"Mack!" shouted Aura from over a hundred yards away, "Come see this!" Mack briefly took to the air and landed at Aura's side.

"What is it, Aura?" asked Mack. Aura pointed to the ground: there was a cluster of footprints all around where the ground turned from brown to black, scorched from the intense fire.

"You see those?" asked Aura.

"I do…" said Mack, "There's a cluster of footprints just like these about fifty yards from here. I thought it was nothing at first, but it looks like the fire was started intentionally and by Pokémon, no doubt."

"I'll search up this way, will you search that way?" asked Aura, pointing along the border of the scorched earth.

"Will do," said Mack as he spread his majestic wings and flew back to the first cluster of footprints. As Mack flew further along, carefully surveying the area, he was starting to wonder what kind of Pokémon had been responsible for this mess.

"The footprints are paw-shaped…" thought Mack, "They appear to be canine." What was most disturbing was how the prints went right into the scorched mountainside.

"Hmmm…" thought Mack, "There are very few creatures that would be at home or even safe in a forest fire. They must have been fire Pokémon…dogs of some sort."

"I see more clusters of footprints down here," said Aura telepathically to her mate, "Looks like there were dozens of some kind of Pokémon here right where the fire started." Mack continued on until he came to the last cluster of footprints, almost a mile from where Aura now stood.

"Mack, what do you make of this?" asked Aura through telepathy.

"The fire was clearly started by some kind of…fire dog," replied Mack telepathically, "But the prints are so distorted, I can't tell if they belong to Houndooms or Growlithes. Maybe some Arcanines or even Houndours started the fire?" Only a few minutes had passed when Aura landed next to Mack and folded her wings up behind her back.

"Too bad we can't track them down," said Aura, "The tracks lead off and disappear into the burn area." Mack shrugged.

"Whatever they are, we'll never find them now," said Mack with a heavy sigh, "At least Gardev is safe. Hopefully, whoever did this won't be coming back."

"I agree," said Aura softly. She reached out and held onto Mack's hands. Mack smiled at his beautiful mate.

"I love you…my princess," said Mack tenderly as he held Aura's hands. Aura blushed: she really enjoyed when Mack called her his princess. It always reminded the young Gardevoir of how much Mack loved and cherished her.

"I love you, too, my handsome prince," said Aura sweetly as she moved towards Mack. They embraced and kissed long and passionately as their pendants glowed brightly. Just when it seemed like things couldn't be better, the rain started to fall. A loud boom of thunder announced the storm's arrival as the lovers broke their kiss.

"I guess we should go home now," said Mack as he smiled. Aura smiled and nodded.

"Want to teleport back to Gardev?" suggested Aura, "We shouldn't really fly in a thunderstorm." A bright flash and loud, echoing boom of thunder close by only reinforced Aura's concerns.

"Either that or I carry you all the way back to the village," said Mack with a grin. Aura giggled.

"As much as I would like that, no," said Aura with warm laughter, "We'd be late for dinner if we went back to Gardev."

"That's right," said Mack, "Our parents and our great-great grandparents are joining us for dinner! I hope Warren remembered that Agatha took the rest of the day off."

"Me too," said Aura, "Let's go home, my prince." Mack smiled as he embraced Aura once again.

"I'll take you back to our castle now, princess," Aura held Mack close: the lovers closed their eyes and promptly disappeared in a bright flash. The rain started to fall much heavier than before and not more than a few dozen yards away, a pair of red, glowing eyes appeared from a crevice between two giant and blackened granite boulders.

"The Guardians succeeded after all. If only the weather had no changed so suddenly, then Gardev would have surely been burnt to the ground," thought the hidden Pokémon, "The master will not be pleased with this. Good thing the Guardians didn't catch onto us; the master must have his vengeance."


	4. Section 4

The Village Guardians

**-35-**

Glacian stood on a balcony of Warren's mansion with Gloria under a metal awning as the heavy rain continued to fall around Gardev. Distant flashes of lightning lit up the sky as thunder rumbled softly. The smoke off towards Mt. Terror was beginning to clear as the final, smoldering remains of the once-mighty inferno were extinguished from the passing thunderstorm.

"Ah…Thank you Lord," said Glacian softly, smiling as the rain continued to fall, "The Guardians have succeeded and the change of weather could not have come at a better time." Gloria leaned against her husband as he held her close.

"I remember when we were the Guardians of Gardev," said Gloria, "Never in our twenty-five years together did we ever see a fire this time of year."

"Indeed, Gloria," said Glacian, "Yes, there were dry times during the summer every few years, but there was never anything that could start such a blaze. The rains would always return and quench the thirsty land before it got too dry."

"I know," said Gloria, "That is the way things have been in the valley for ages. Something must have started that fire. Maybe it was just some careless human or a Pokémon." Glacian nodded his head in agreement.

"We'll have to wait until Mack and Aura return," said Glacian. Glacian had barely finished his sentence, when Mack and Aura suddenly appeared in a bright flash behind the old Gardevoir and his mate. Gloria shrieked.

"Mack! Aura! Please don't do that!" shouted a surprised Gloria.

"Most agreed," said Glacian as he quickly caught his breath, "I'm getting far too old for this." Mack looked back and forth, gazing about the balcony.

"Oh, dear…Sorry, Glacian, Gloria," said Mack with embarrassment, "This…is not our room, Aura."

"You're not used to teleporting so far, are you?" asked Glacian. Mack nodded as he held Aura's hand: Gloria calmed down as the shock from the Guardians' unexpected appearance wore off.

"Well, I can understand that," said Gloria with a nod, "I had trouble learning to teleport long distances too when I was growing up."

"Just give it some time and keep practicing, Mack," said Glacian with optimism, "You've only been a Gardevoir for a few years now and I imagine that you've never been able to teleport great distances on your own anyway, haven't you?"

"Not without the help of machines," replied Mack. Glacian smiled as he wrapped his left arm around Gloria.

"You'll do fine," said Glacian, "I'm sure Aura will happily teach you how to use your enhanced powers even more in the coming days, won't you?" Aura smiled and nodded. At that moment, another young, male Gardevoir walked onto the balcony. The heavy rainfall had started to ease up.

"Hello, Mack and Aura," said Ramirez happily as he turned his gaze to the king and queen of the Gardevoir city, "Nice to see you, Glacian and Gloria." Glacian nodded, gazing at the bright, green emerald pendant around his great-great grandson's neck.

"A pleasure to see you as well, Ramirez," said Glacian, "Tell me, did things go well today in the city in your search for a mate?" Ramirez's only reply was a frown.

"You couldn't find a nice, female Gardevoir?" asked Gloria with sympathy. Ramirez said nothing. Glacian's eyes glowed with a soft, blue light as he read Ramirez's thoughts. Glacian soon found what he was looking for and his look of curiosity soon turned to one of frustration and despair.

"So…" said Glacian as his eyes stopped glowing, "That's the deal." Ramirez nodded.

"Word must have gotten out in the city somehow that I would be there today," said Ramirez nervously and with great frustration, "I had hundreds of single, female Gardevoirs chasing after me all day! Someone must have told them how whoever married me would get a pair of white, soft wings, just like the rest of the Guardian family now possess, on our wedding night!"

"I was afraid of this," said Glacian, deep in thought, "This is why whenever a single Guardian went into the city to choose a mate, it was done in utmost secrecy. Only once every 25 years is the first, direct descendant of the Guardians of Gardev eligible for marriage. Competition can be just as fierce if not more so to marry the relief Guardian as well. Not even Gallades or off-color Gardevoirs are pursued nearly as fervently as a member of the Guardian family."

"Namely me!" said a depressed and thoroughly vexed Ramirez, "How am I going to be able to meet a nice Gardevoir and find out more about her with a monumental throng of young ladies after me every time I set foot in that blasted city?!"

"Indeed, Ramirez," said Glacian, "If that keeps up you may very well have to go elsewhere in your search for a wife. After all, it is the responsibility of every member of the Guardian family to find a mate while still young. You may not have noticed, but there are very few left of our lineage."

"That's another question I have for you, Glacian," said Mack as he stepped towards the sage Gardevoir, "How come the Guardian family is so small?"

"To be honest, I really don't know," said Glacian, "That is one reason why I am so eager to open the sealed archives. There may be something in there that can explain why so many members of the Guardian family have been unable to have offspring or why so many have fallen ill and died. It is almost as if that infernal Black Pendant has something to do with this and to think we almost had that evil relic back in our care!" Warren stepped out onto the balcony, overhearing the serious conversation of the Gardevoirs. The old mayor smiled as he stepped up to his friends, hoping he could lift the mood a bit.

"Excuse me," said Warren softly, "But I believe we should head to the dining room now. Dinner is almost ready and from what I can tell, this is one meal we won't want to miss. In fact, William has been waiting at the table for quite some time now for you guys to come on down."

"Well, at least we know where our Pikachu is," said Mack as he faced Aura, "Shall we be off, my princess?"

"Yes, we shall, my prince," said Aura tenderly. Glacian couldn't help but laugh.

"Truer words were never spoken, Mack!" said Glacian as he doubled-over with laughter, "Since you and Aura are second in line for the throne, you really are a prince and a princess! Oh, maybe one day you two will indeed sit on the throne!"

"I don't think that will happen," said Mack with a shrug, "Alexander and Aurora are your successors. Besides, Aura and I hope to have left for my home world by then."

"Well, I'm just hoping that one day you and Aura will rule the Gardevoir city," said Glacian, "I may never see that day, but you and your mate would be a great king and queen." As the group of Gardevoirs followed Warren downstairs, Simon was putting the finishing touches on dinner. Even under his bridal disguise, he knew it would be a great challenge to fool Glacian or any member of the Guardian family. Still, the Kabutops was fairly confident that he could easily keep some of the most powerful psychic Pokémon on earth from reading his mind.

"You sure you want to do this, Simon?" asked Anna, "You're going to have a lot of explaining to do if they find out that you're just dressed up as a bride."

"I intend for that not to be revealed," replied Simon, "Besides, if anything, this will be some great practice if not a fabulous test of my skills and abilities."

"Well, if I didn't know what was up, I would assume you were just a female Gardevoir dressed up in dazzling wedding attire as well," said Sakura. The two young Gardevoirs gazed at the meal Simon had prepared with incredible, machine-like precision.

"Turkey may be out of season, but I think our guests will really enjoy this," said Simon, admiring his work.

"Did you make some pumpkin pie, too?" asked Sakura eagerly,

"It's my favorite!" Simon chuckled as he straightened his sparkling, jeweled tiara.

"But of course," replied Simon, "What would a fine, turkey dinner like this be without the proper desert? Now, let's get these trays out to the table."

"Can we help you with that?" asked Sakura and Anna at once.

"That would be most helpful," replied Simon with a nod, "Thank you both very much." With that, the three Gardevoirs' eyes glowed with a blue light. Moments later, a strange blue and white aura surrounded the dishes, trays and food. They all were gently lifted into the air and then slowly floated towards the large dining room table where Warren, Mack, Aura, Alexander, Aurora, Glacian, Gloria, Fredrick and Ramirez were all waiting.

"My word!" said a pleasantly surprised Glacian as he sniffed the air, taking in the aroma of the wonderful meal, "This looks to be the best dinner I've had in quite some time!" The trays and dishes of food slowly drifted onto the table as the Gardevoirs sat down on the fine, dark cherry wood chairs. There were steaming dishes of mashed potatoes, candied yams, green bean casserole, buttered peas, fresh buttered dinner rolls and scalloped corn. At each end of the table was a gravy boat, filled to the brim with fresh gravy. At the center of all this, was a large, roasted turkey.

"It may be a bit early for a thanksgiving dinner," remarked a smiling Alexander, "But it think this is quite fitting, especially after Mack and Aura succeeded in protecting the village together: facing and conquering their first real challenge as the Guardians of Gardev."

"Enough with the speeches and such," said William impatiently, "Let's eat!" William was reaching for a bowl of mashed potatoes, but Aura quickly whisked it away.

"Not just yet, William," said Aura gently as she set the bowl back on the table, "Let's wait for Anna and Sakura to get to the table, too." The other Gardevoirs nodded in agreement.

"Yeah!" said Fredrick excitedly, "I'm not going to eat such a wonderful meal with my family without my wonderful wife!"

"You called?" asked Sakura with a bright smile as she entered the room. Fredrick, being a gentleman, smiled as he stood up and then helped Sakura sit down at the table. Anna took a seat next to her mother, Aurora.

"Now that I think about it…" said Mack, "Today was Agatha's day off. Who prepared all this? I would really like to personally thank whoever put this grand dinner together for us."

"That's right," said Warren as he called out towards the kitchen, "Alana? Will you please join us for dinner as well?" Simon grinned as he made his way towards the dinning room in his shimmering wedding dress and sparkling jewelry.

"Show time," thought Simon as he changed his menacing grin into a happy, yet nervous smile.

"Alana?" asked Ramirez with curiosity, "Who's Alana, Anna?" The young male Gardevoir soon got his answer when what looked like a beautiful, young female Gardevoir in wedding attire stepped into the room. Warren smiled as the young "Bride" blushed deeply.

"Alana," said Glacian as he stood up from the table, "It is a pleasure to meet you. I thank you for putting this wonderful meal together for us."

"It was my pleasure," said "Alana" with a bright smile. Alexander turned his gaze upon his youngest daughter.

"Anna, who is this?" asked Alexander, "And why is she dressed up as a bride?" Ramirez was sweating nervously.

"Surely this young lady isn't out to get me, is she?" thought Ramirez as his thoughts returned to the day's ordeals in the Gardevoir city.

"Oh!" said Anna, "Alana is a friend of mine. She only drops by once every month or so."

"Yes," said Alana happily, "I heard so much about Gardevoir wedding dresses and jewelry that I just had to try some on. Anna and Sakura helped make me a bride for a day, just for fun. I just love this soft, beautiful dress and my sparkling jewelry!"

"So I see," said a delighted Glacian, "So, you are not married yet, then?" Alana nodded her head in reply.

"Nope," replied Alana, "I'm not seeking a mate right now."

"I was just curious. I hope you don't mind me asking," said Glacian with a gentle voice, "Would you please join us?"

"It would be an honor to dine with the Guardians of Gardev as well as the king and queen of the Gardevoir city," said Alana as she offered a curtsey, "Now, where should I sit?" As much as Ramirez hated to admit it, he was starting to like Alana.

"Will you please sit here, next to me?" asked a smiling and blushing Ramirez. Alana giggled.

"I would love to," said Alana with delight as she walked over and took a seat at Ramirez's side. Anna had a worried look on her face, seeing her oldest brother smile and blush at Alana: Simon disguised as a Gardevoir in a wedding dress.

"This can't end well…" thought Anna nervously.

"This actually couldn't be better," said Simon through telepathy, reading Anna's thoughts, "I'm just a few chairs away from Glacian: he and Gloria have no idea who I really am. As a matter of fact, no one here recognized me at all."

"Let us eat," said Warren cheerfully. With that, the old man and Gardevoirs eagerly dug into their grand dinner. Warren carved the turkey as the other dishes were passed around the table. The Gardevoirs and Warren talked about what had happened over the last year. The arrival of Arthur and Jasmine's twins was still on their minds as well as Fredrick and Sakura's wedding. The minutes ticked by as they ate. Simon had to be especially careful, not wanting to get his dress dirty. After all, having fingers instead of claws had taken some getting used to.

"I hate to ruin the pleasant atmosphere," said Glacian, "But I must know; Mack, Aura, did you find any clues to how that blaze was started? Gloria and I are convinced that such an immense forest fire was not natural." The Guardians faced Glacian.

"We did find something," reported Mack, "Aura and I scoured the very place where the blaze had begun. We found several clusters of canine footprints. I suspect that blaze was started by a group of fire-type dog Pokémon; however, the footprints were so badly distorted, we couldn't tell if they belonged to Houndours, Houndooms, Growlithes or even Arcanines." Glacian sat still, pondering this information as "Alana" cheerfully handed out desert: pumpkin pie with freshly-made whipped cream. Ramirez, blissfully, kept his eyes on Alana, watching what he perceived to be a beautiful, young female Gardevoir. Simon, on the other hand, couldn't be happier: he was hiding in front of his most powerful opponents in plain sight.

"It can't be…" said Glacian quietly, "Such a brazen action is too bold for those fiends…Why on earth would they do that…?"

"Something on your mind, Glacian?" asked Aura. Glacian nodded.

"I have my suspicions, but it is too soon to tell," said Glacian, "Well, all that matters now is that Gardev is safe: most importantly, as are the Guardians." Alana sat back down next to Ramirez as soon as the plates of pie were handed out.

"I hope you'll enjoy desert as much as you did the meal!" said Alana cheerfully, "I spent hours on it."

"You're quite the chef, aren't you?" asked Ramirez with a blissful smile, "That was the best turkey dinner I've ever had."

"I'm glad you liked it," said Alana, blushing nervously. Simon was starting to get very worried about his disguise. Ramirez kept staring at him, blushing and smiling at him, unaware. He knew he was in deep trouble: Ramirez had fallen in love with Alana. Simon had to think up a way to get away from the love-struck, young Gardevoir and quickly. Anna was also very concerned about Simon. Before long, Warren and the other Gardevoirs had finished desert.

"That was fabulous, Alana," said Glacian as he wiped his mouth with a white napkin, "I can't remember the last time I've had such a great dinner and desert with my family."

"Well, I'm glad you enjoyed it," said Alana with happiness.

"That we did," said Mack with an appreciative nod. Aura faced the young Gardevoir in disguise.

"So, where do you live?" asked Aura with curiosity. Simon sat still with fear, wondering how he was going to answer.

"She's quite shy," said Anna, speaking up and drawing the attention of everyone at the table, "Alana lives deep in the forests of the Gardev Mountains. Like I said, I only get to see her once every few months or so."

"I see," said Aura with a friendly smile, "Strange that I've never seen you before." Simon glanced at Aura nervously.

"Enough of this chit-chat," said Fredrick, smiling as he stood up from the table and pushed in his chair, "It's getting dark outside and I want to dance with my lovely mate before we go to bed." Sakura giggled with sheer delight as she also stood up from the table and then held onto her mate's right hand.

"I would love to dance with you," said Sakura happily.

"That's a splendid idea," said Glacian as he and Gloria stood up, "Warren, may we borrow your ballroom for the evening?"

"But of course," said Warren with a nod, "Mack and Aura dance in there almost every night before bed." Glacian smiled.

"Is that so?" asked Glacian as he faced Mack and Aura. The Guardians smiled, blushing as they nodded their heads.

"That's wonderful!" said a delighted Glacian, "You see, most Gardevoir couples love to dance, but to dance together so often can only reflect how much they love and cherish each other."

"Want to dance, Aurora?" asked Alexander. Of course, Aurora did not refuse: she giggled and nodded her head as Alexander held her hand and led her towards the ballroom. Glacian, Gloria, Mack and Aura followed close behind.

"I'll be in the arcade if you need me," said William as he jumped off his pile of books and scurried down a nearby hallway. Ramirez smiled as he approached Alana: "she" was starting to clear the dishes.

"Alana?" asked Ramirez tenderly, "Will you give me the pleasure of a dance with you?"

"I…I don't…I don't know…" stammered Alana as Anna came alongside the baffled and nervous, disguised Gardevoir. She whispered a few things to Simon.

"Just one dance with him…" whispered Anna, "And then…" Ramirez watched the two Gardevoirs, wondering what Anna was saying. Alana nodded and returned her gaze to Ramirez.

"I would love to dance with you," lied Simon in his Alana voice, "But I have all these dishes to clean and food to put away."

"Is that all?" asked Ramirez with warm laughter, "Then let me help you." Ramirez closed his eyes as his emerald pendant shone brightly with a green light. Anna and Simon looked on with disbelief as the dishes and trays were lifted off the table and took an express flight back to the kitchen. Then, in a flurry of silverware, pots, pans, food, water, soap bubbles and towels, all the dishes were cleaned and put away in two minutes flat. The food had also been put into plastic containers and into the refrigerators in the large kitchen. A few moments later, a few towels and washcloths flew out another entryway in the kitchen and straight into the adjoining laundry room.

"And you said that excuse would stop him?" asked Simon quietly. Anna frowned and bowed her head.

"It was worth a try…" said Anna with disappointment, "If you manage to get away, meet me in the arcade." Simon nodded as Anna walked out of the room and Ramirez slowly strutted up to Alana with a big smile on his face.

"Thank…you…" said Alana nervously. Ramirez bowed politely.

"It was my pleasure," said Ramirez, "Now, how about we dance, even for just a little while?" Simon realized there was no way he was getting out of this one so easily. He held his soft, shimmering skirt in his hands, spreading it out in a curtsey and bowed towards Ramirez.

"I would love to dance with you," said Alana. Ramirez could not be happier. Alana let go of her skirt and stood up straight with her right hand extended out towards the eager Gardevoir. Ramirez smiled as he held onto Alana's hand and led her to the ballroom. The other Gardevoir couples were just getting ready when Ramirez walked into the ballroom with the young, fake Gardevoir at his side. Warren placed a record into a nearby record player.

"Good thing I have so many songs suitable for a nice Waltz," said Warren to himself as the record started to spin up. He gently placed the needle on the record as the Gardevoir couples faced each other. Sakura glanced at Simon, wondering what in heck what he was doing. Seconds later, the music started to play. The husbands held their mates close and started to dance with them. Ramirez started deep into Alana's eyes, lost in wonderful bliss. Simon smiled and blushed, knowing he had to play along or else he may draw suspicion and being found out was at the very top of his "Do Not Do" list for the day.

"You're so beautiful…" said Ramirez tenderly. Alana smiled and nodded as she continued to dance. The dancing continued for over an hour and Ramirez was starting to wonder if this Gardevoir would be the perfect mate for him.

"Alana, I would love to meet your family," said Ramirez with a blissful smile. Simon now knew very well that stalling was going to accomplish nothing.

"I said I was not seeking a mate," said Alana softly, "Because I've already have found one." Ramirez immediately stopped dancing with Alana and took his arms off her.

"Why didn't you tell me?" asked Ramirez with shock, "It's not right for me to dance with a Gardevoir who is already engaged to someone else." The other couples continued to waltz their way about the fancy ballroom, not paying any attention to Ramirez and Alana.

"I knew that a dance would help you feel better," said Alana sweetly, "Especially after the…adventure you had in the city today." Ramirez nodded with a heavy sigh. Alana smiled as she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Ramirez.

"You truly are wonderful, just like my mate-to-be," said Alana, whispering into Ramirez's ear, "And I hope you find the mate of your dreams soon, like I have." Ramirez put his arms around the lovely bride and held her close.

"Thank you, Alana: thank you so very much…" said Ramirez softly. Alana just smiled as she released Ramirez from her embrace. The young, male Gardevoir did the same. He watched attentively as Alana left the room.

"Goodbye, Ramirez," said Alana with a bright smile.

"Farewell and best wishes to you," said Ramirez, "I hope I find someone just like you someday."

"I know you will," said Alana happily as she slowly left the ballroom. The first song ended just as the young bride made her exit out of the ballroom. Alexander and Aurora walked up to their son, wondering what had just happened. Mack and Aura followed after their parents.

"Is something wrong, my son?" asked Alexander with concern, "Why did Alana leave so suddenly?" Ramirez smiled as he faced his worried parents.

"Alana is already engaged," said Ramirez with a sigh, "I wish her nothing but the best."

"Did she say anything about your wings?" asked Aurora.

"No, she did not mention them," answered Ramirez as he started to feel better, "In fact, I don't think she noticed my wings or was swayed at all to marry me since I'm the relief Guardian of Gardev." Glacian had overheard the conversation and walked up to Ramirez with Gloria.

"Perhaps you should go back to the Gardevoir city," suggested Glacian, "And this time, don't wear your pendant and do your best to keep your wings hidden. Maybe Mack could loan you one of his cloaking devices. At any rate, if you think you've found the right female Gardevoir and she is indeed worthy of your trust, then, you shall reveal your true heritage. The right mate will want to be with you regardless of lineage and who you are."

"I could loan you a cloaking device," said Mack with a friendly smile, "It's not a problem for my brother."

"You consider me to be your brother?" asked Ramirez with disbelief. Mack nodded.

"Just like I consider Alexander and Aurora as my father and mother," replied Mack, "After all, we're family."

"Thank you, brother," said Ramirez gratefully. Meanwhile, Simon was walking down the hallway, shuddering uncontrollably as he approached the arcade.

"I will never, ever, EVER impersonate a female Gardevoir again as long as I live!" thought Simon with disgust. Sure, convincing Glacian that he was someone else was one thing. It had been an excellent test of his skills, but he would never do that again. He was now all the more eager to be free of his fluffy, satin prison soon. Anna glanced at Simon as he entered the arcade: he was cautiously looking around the arcade.

"All's well, Simon," said Anna quietly, "William went straight to bed. He can't quite reach the controls to any of these old arcade machines, so he gave up and decided to call it a night." Simon sighed with relief.

"Ah. Very good," said Simon as he walked up beside Anna.

"I said you would draw undo attention to yourself," said Anna matter-of-factly. Simon nodded his head in agreement.

"As much as I hate to admit it, you are correct, Anna," said Simon, "Putting my skills of impersonation and deceit to the test was not worth that much anxiety and humiliation." Anna grinned at Simon.

"Though, I did enjoy watching you sweat when Ramirez fell in love with you," giggled Anna, "I must say Simon: you could not have made me laugh so much even if I had asked you to!"

"I did make a monumental fool out of myself, didn't I?" remarked Simon. Anna laughed and nodded.

"Well, at least I can be free of this dress now," said Simon as he started to leave the arcade.

"Hold it right there!" said Anna forcefully. The disguised Kabutops abruptly stopped in his tracks.

"Our deal was one day of dress-up," said Anna in a sinister tone, "That's 24 hours, mister. So, that means you have to stay in your beautiful wedding dress and pretty jewelry until 10:30 tomorrow morning." Simon, to say the least, was not at all amused by this news.

"I was hoping you wouldn't be so technical about this…" grumbled Simon. Anna laughed and stepped to the side.

"Want to play Missile Command with me?" asked Anna with a grin. Simon grinned back at Anna.

"Why stop there? Let's get a nice, thorough workout on every single game in here," declared Simon.

"Works for me!" said Anna with excitement, "You can play first on all the one player games." Simon nodded.

"Agreed," said Simon as he placed his hands on the control stick and buttons on the old Atari machine. Another hour passed, all while Anna and Simon continued to play videogames and pinball. Fredrick walked by the arcade with Sakura in his arms.

"Hello, Anna and Alana," said Fredrick softly. Anna and the fake Gardevoir bride quickly turned around.

"Hello, Fredrick," said Anna happily, "Turning in for the night?" Fredrick nodded as Sakura laid her head against her mate's chest, blushing and smiling blissfully.

"Warren said we could stay here for the night," explained Fredrick, "Glacian, Gloria, Alexander and Aurora should be heading to their rooms as well." Anna smiled.

"I can't wait until I have a husband, too," said Anna with great anticipation. Sakura opened her eyes, smiling at Anna.

"You'll just have to wait until next summer," said Sakura as she faced Fredrick, "Shall we go to bed now, my love?"

"Yes we shall," said Fredrick tenderly, "Goodnight Anna and to you, too Alana. Don't stay up all night. Oh! Before I forget; best wishes to you, Alana." Sakura giggled with sheer delight.

"You are very kind," said Alana cheerfully as she offered yet another curtsey, "Thank you very much, Fredrick."

"Goodnight, big brother. See you in the morning Sakura," said Anna happily as Fredrick carried his beautiful mate out of the arcade and down the dimly-lit hallway.

"Farewell 'Alana,'" said Sakura from down the hallway with laughter. Anna looked up at Simon.

"Well?" asked Anna, "Are you going to play or are you just going to let those aliens blow you to steaming bits?" Simon quickly returned his attention to Space Invaders. He was doing remarkably well and after another hour had passed, Simon had achieved the highest score. After putting in his initials, he looked down at his green hands and grinned.

"Fingers are certainly not over-rated," remarked Simon.

"I'll say," said Anna with amazement, "You beat your last score by over ten thousand points!"

"It's all in the wrist," said Simon jokingly, "Now, how about a few rounds of Ski-Ball?" Never would Anna refuse such a challenge, even though she was utterly outgunned against an arcade master like Simon.


	5. Section 5

The Village Guardians

**-36-**

The morning could not have come sooner for Simon. He and Anna had spent the entire night and much of the morning playing pinball and other assorted videogames. It was almost 10:30 and Simon was all too eager for his wedding dress sentence to be over. Simon looked around the arcade, admiring his handiwork: he now had the #1 high score on every machine in the room. Simon was more pleased for he had also defeated Anna at Dance Dance Revolution despite the big and fluffy wedding dress.

"Well, Simon," said Anna with a loud yawn, "It's almost time for you take off your pretty dress, unless, for some reason, you want to keep wearing it."

"I've had enough of this," said Simon as he stretched his arms, "Despite how much I've enjoyed wearing this beautiful, sparkling and fluffy attire, I'm afraid I must now take it off."

"I know you're only joking!" laughed Anna. Simon's smile soon was replaced by a stern look on his face.

"I hope you've had you're fun, Anna, for your training will soon begin. Are you ready?" asked Simon. He could tell Anna was tired, but her response would help determine just how serious she was about undergoing the intense training the ancient Kabutops had layed out. Anna yawned, but still smiled at Simon.

"I'm a bit tired," said Anna as she stretched out her wings, "But I can begin right now, if you want." Simon nodded.

"Your first test can wait," said Simon, "In the meantime, you should get some rest and pack whatever you may need. We'll be heading off to the Gardevoir city tomorrow morning."

"Okay," said Anna, "Thank you, Simon."

"You're welcome. Now, I have one favor to ask of you;" said Simon as he approached Anna and turned his back to her, "Would you please unlace my dress?" Anna giggled as she gently brushed the flowing veil away from the back of Simon's dress.

"There," said Anna as she tenderly unlaced and loosened the bodice of the wedding dress, "That wasn't so bad, was it?"

"I guess not," said Simon, "Nevertheless, I don't ever want to do that again." Before long, Anna had finished unlacing the dress. Simon let out a sigh of relief as he stepped behind a row of arcade machines. Anna heard the dress and petticoats rustle softly as Simon quickly took off the dress, letting it fall to the floor. Anna kept her eyes glued on a nearby pinball table as Simon then took off his jewelry and lace garter.

"Now, for one last test of my skills," said Simon to himself. Anna jumped when she suddenly heard a loud "Poof!" and as a bright flash lit up the arcade room. She took a quick look behind the arcade machines and there she saw Simon, standing over the crumpled wedding dress, back as a Kabutops. The jewelry and veil were lying on a nearby Donkey Kong machine.

"I thought you couldn't turn back from a transformation on you own," said Anna with disbelief.

"Not anymore," said Simon proudly, "Now I can change back whenever I wish." Simon stepped out of the pile of white fluff. Anna glanced back at the pinball machine just in time to see a big "Game Over" pass over the orange LED screen. She laughed and stepped away from the machine.

"By the way, thanks for making me lose," said Anna with a smirk.

"Surely I'm more entertaining than any game?" asked a laughing smile. Anna erupted with laughter as well as she then picked up the wedding dress, just as Sakura rushed into the room.

"Did I miss anything?" asked an excited Sakura.

"Not much," replied Anna, "Simon only beat be by an even greater margin on every game in this room as a Gardevoir."

"Indeed," said Simon, "That form is most…versatile."

"I see the dress and jewelry are okay," said a relieved Sakura, "Thanks for taking it easy while wearing these, Simon."

"Not a problem," said Simon, "Just remember that what happened yesterday and this morning is an absolute secret, okay?"

"Of course," said Sakura with a smile. Anna nodded in agreement just as Ramirez rushed into the room with Fredrick right behind him. The two male Gardevoirs were panting from exhaustion.

"I told you we should have checked the arcade first," said Ramirez weakly. Fredrick faced his sister.

"Have you been in here the whole time?" asked Fredrick, "We've been looking everywhere for you, Anna, and Alana. Where is she?"

"You just missed her," said Anna.

"Indeed," said Simon, "I got here just as she was leaving. She said something about wanting to have a talk with her mate-to-be about getting married and living in the Gardevoir city."

"Oh," said Ramirez with disappointment, "I wanted to say goodbye to her before she left."

"It's okay," said Anna, "She wanted me to tell you that she had a wonderful time last night and she hopes to meet you one day with her mate at her side."

"I see," said Ramirez with a smile, "Very well, then. The Gardevoir or Gallade that marries her is going to be very, very happy for the rest of their days."

"Well, Fredrick, we'd better get back to the city," said Sakura with the wedding dress in her arms, "The seamstresses want me to return this dress and jewelry as soon as possible." Fredrick came forward and took the heavy wedding dress from Sakura.

"I'll carry this," said Fredrick lovingly, "Would you please carry the jewelry?" Sakura smiled and nodded. As Sakura picked up the jewelry, Ramirez faced his youngest sister.

"You missed breakfast and our parents were very worried about you," said Ramirez, "Agatha saved you some pancakes, though. Now, let's get to the dining room."

"That reminds me," said Anna, "I'm going to be training with Simon for awhile."

"Training? Why?" asked Ramirez.

"Anna just wants to learn a few important things from me. That's all," replied Simon. Ramirez nodded.

"You can explain everything to mom and dad at the table," said Ramirez with a smile, feeling better and glad that at least Anna was safe, "Let's go, Anna."

"Okay, brother," said Anna as she followed Ramirez out of the room. Simon took one last look at the videogames and pinball machines about the large room.

"Let's see Warren and Jake top those scores!" thought Simon with triumph as he laughed to himself.

**-37-**

Though Mack and Aura had decided to spend the day together resting, K-1 was in no mood to be doing anything of the sort. He had spent the entire night and all morning, scouring the Gardevoir city, hoping he could scrounge up some clues to the ancient Pokémon dialect. Instead, the mystery was only deepening all the more. Throughout the city on all the street corners, K-1 had found even more of the strange symbols on the sides of buildings, almost marking the names of the intersecting streets. To confirm this, K-1 had traveled up and down a few of the main streets and thus, the same grouping of symbols was found for the street name at every corner.

"It's so strange that no one in the entire city knows this language," thought K-1, "Despite the fact that you can find it on the sides of these ancient buildings." K-1 started back towards the palace. He stopped when he got a good look at a white, marble monolith just outside the palace gates. He saw a row of large symbols, one stacked up another in a single line down the twenty-foot tall, white marble structure.

"Ten to one, this may be the name of the city," thought K-1, "Though I can't read it. I have to find out how to decode this blasted language, if it's the last thing I do!" K-1 was rarely flustered or irritated, but trying to decode a complex language with no clues and absolutely nothing to go on was really starting to try his patience.

"It's never taken me this long to break a code before," thought K-1 as he entered the palace and walked down one of the giant corridors, "May as well keep reading in the archival room. Maybe, just maybe, I will either find a solution or it will be presented to me: even if it has to hit me in the face!"

**-38-**

Another quiet day and night soon passed in the village of Gardev. It was early in the morning when Simon walked into Anna's room. She had stayed the night in Warren's mansion and was now in a deep sleep: Simon gently shook Anna awake. The young Gardevoir yawned as she sat up in bed.

"Oh…good morning, Simon," yawned Anna, "What's up?"

"Your training shall begin, that is what's up," said Simon quietly, "Now it is time for you to get up. There is much to do" Anna glanced at a nearby clock.

"It's only 6 in the morning," said a drowsy Anna.

"Indeed," said Simon, "We have a long day ahead of us, so we should get started. Agatha has your breakfast ready. Now come on, it's time to get going, my apprentice." Anna yawned again, but decided she should do as Simon said. She walked downstairs to the dining room and quickly ate her breakfast of fresh muffins and berries. After breakfast, she made her way to Warren's front door, following close behind Simon as he led the way. Anna yawned and stretched out her arms and wings again.

"So, shall we teleport to the Gardevoir city or should I fly to the city and meet you there later?" asked Anna. Simon just grinned at the young Gardevoir.

"Your training begins right here and right now with our journey to the city," declared Simon.

"What do you mean?" asked Anna as the drowsiness finally started to wear off. Simon pointed his claws at a pair of large backpacks. Each of them had a bedroll, various provisions and looked quite heavy.

"We shall hike and climb our way to the very peak of Mt. Ivory, eventually arriving at the Gardevoir city, nestled in the unmoving glaciers," explained Simon, "Now, I'm going to be nice and let you carry the lighter of these two packs."

"You mean," said Anna as the whole concept started to sink in, "We're going to walk all the way there?" Simon nodded.

"It's normally a two week journey," said Simon, "But I think we can manage the trek in ten days. That is, if you don't complain, press on and follow me." Anna let out a heavy sigh as she picked up both backpacks. They were both quite heavy, but the one in her left hand was substantially lighter.

"Is this some sort of test?" asked Anna.

"Yes," replied Simon, "This will be a test of your patience and your physical strength. You will not be allowed to use your psychic powers during our ascent. You will have to rely on your own strength as well as my guidance, but should you at any time use your powers, we will head straight back to Gardev and try again, even if we're just inches from the front gate of the city." Anna was shocked, but she still put on the backpack with great reluctance. It was going to be quite an adventure to climb the nearby mountains and hike the trails without being able to use any of her great, psychic powers.

"I'll follow you," said Anna with determination. Simon smiled and nodded at his apprentice.

"Good," said Simon, "We have enough food and water for three weeks if need be. Now, let's be off." Before they set out the door, Mack, Aura and the rest of the family came to say goodbye.

"Good luck up there," said Alexander as he embraced his dear daughter. Anna was so happy that her parents agreed to let her train under Simon for the next six months.

"Be careful," said Aurora happily, "We'll drop by now and then to check on you."

"As will Gloria and I," said Glacian, "I must say that I admire you for wanting this."

"See you later," said Fredrick. Sakura, his mate, smiled and nodded at her friend. Anna looked back and forth, but could not find her oldest brother.

"Where's Ramirez?" asked Anna with curiosity. Mack stepped forward with Aura at his side.

"Ramirez went off the Gardevoir city hours ago. As Glacian requested, he left his pendant here and borrowed one of my cloaking devices to hide his wings," explained Mack, "Looks like he's going to take another stab at finding a mate."

"Well, as the relief Guardian, he has to," said Glacian, "I'm certainly not going to force Ramirez to marry, but I hope he finds a suitable female Gardevoir in the coming months."

"Maybe he'll find one today!" said Anna with enthusiasm, "Then I'll have another sister!" The other Gardevoirs laughed: even Simon was chuckling. As soon as Anna had hugged and told her family goodbye, she was off towards the mountains with Simon. The old Kabutops could easily sense Anna's anxiety. He glanced back at her and smiled.

"You don't have to be afraid," said Simon, "Tell me, have you ever been on these mountains before?" Anna replied by slowly shaking her head back and forth a few times.

"Well, I think you're going to be in for quite a treat," said Simon optimistically, "The view up there is absolutely spectacular. Besides, your parents entrusted you into my care and you better believe me that I will not fail them."

"Okay. Thank you, Simon," said Anna happily, "By the way, what will we do after we get to the city?"

"Patience, Anna," said Simon gently, "We'll deal with that after we get to the city. It's a long journey, but I honestly think you will make it."

"Thank you, sensei," said Anna with renewed confidence. As the young Gardevoir and ancient Kabutops left Gardev and started their hike through the thick, surrounding forests, Anna smiled. She knew the next six months of hardship were actually going to be very good for her.

"This is for you, Enrique," thought Anna, "The next time you see me, I'll be even more prepared to be your mate…forever."

**-39-**

Another week had passed uneventfully. For K-1, the long, long days of digging through records had revealed little of the ancient language and history of the city. Nevertheless, K-1 had uncovered a wealth of information.

"The records go back no further than 567 years, further than I expected," thought K-1, "At least what's here is very detailed. Why, there seems to be a record for the birth, marriage and death of every Ralts, Kirlia and Gardevoir who ever lived here. There's plenty of information about the history of this city as well." K-1 extended one of his hands from the front door on his chest, gently holding onto a few pages of thick, white paper.

"There's even something here, maybe a year or so old about Mack and Aura: their wedding, the defeat of Cipher and so much more," thought K-1 as he quickly read the paper again before carefully putting it back in it's filing cabinet. Just then, Glacian and Gloria entered the room. K-1 almost slipped when he saw them in their full splendor: white dresses, crowns and all.

"Gah!" shouted K-1 when he turned around and saw the king and queen face to face.

"Easy there, K-1," said Glacian cheerfully.

"Sorry to scare you," said Gloria with some embarrassment. K-1 quickly regained his composure and his balance, for that matter.

"I'm just not used to seeing you two dressed up like this," said K-1, feeling a bit more relaxed.

"Well, we are the king and queen of this city," said Glacian, "Part of the job is to dress our best." Gloria nodded.

"Ah, I see, your Excellency," said K-1 as he turned to face Gloria, "So, what brings your highnesses here?"

"You may call us Glacian and Gloria," said Glacian with a smile, "You are one of our dearest friends."

"As you wish, Glacian," replied K-1 politely.

"Anyway, I wanted to come here and ask if you've made any progress," said Glacian, "So, have you found out anything yet?" K-1 let out a single sigh of frustration.

"I've found no clues to translating the ancient language, but I have found a lot of information about the city's inhabitants," reported K-1, "Why; even Mack and Aura are mentioned in here." Glacian and Gloria nodded appreciatively.

"The scribes like to keep records of every important event in the city, especially about the Guardians of Gardev," said Glacian, "Nice to know they are still doing their job so well."

"Keep working, K-1," said Gloria happily, "We really appreciate your hard work." K-1 bowed towards the queen.

"My pleasure," said K-1. Glacian laughed.

"I can see right through you," said Glacian with a grin, "You are not really enjoying yourself in here. I wouldn't either." K-1 frowned and nodded.

"Just take your time and have patience," said Gloria sweetly, "Glacian and I are very confident that you can solve this mystery and don't hesitate to ask for help if you need it."

"Indeed, my love," said Glacian, "K-1, we must now take leave of you. Some of the citizens wish to have an audience with us."

"Alright, Glacian," said K-1 as he returned his attention to the bookshelves and cabinets in the room, "Have a pleasant afternoon, sir."

"I believe we shall," said Glacian.

"So, what is the dispute about?" asked K-1.

"You're very observant," remarked Glacian, "You see, a Gardevoir couple can't decide on a good name for their first child. Even the advisors had no answer for this; therefore, Gloria and I shall help them."

"Yes," said Gloria, "We should probably get going, dear. They should be in the throne room by now."

"Indeed," said Glacian tenderly, "Keep up the splendid work."

"Will do, Glacian," said K-1 as the king and queen slowly left the room.


	6. Section 6

The Village Guardians

**-40-**

For Anna, the last week was the hardest and worst she had ever experienced in her entire life. However, the long, difficult hike through the thick forests around the village of Gardev was nearly over. Anna and her sensei, Simon, were going to attempt their ascent to the peak of Mt. Ivory tomorrow. For now, they were resting and setting up camp in a small clearing for another night in the woods.

"I must say, Anna," said a surprised Simon, "I'm very impressed. You've made it all the way here without any grumbling or complaining and, most unexpectedly, using just your own strength. At this rate, we should arrive at the summit of Mt, Ivory and the Gardevoir city within the next few days."

"Thank you, Sensei," said Anna with a respectful bow.

"You've learned much already," remarked Simon, "Now we need to set up camp. I'll cook us up something nice for dinner, but I'll need some firewood and a few other things first."

"Okay. Where should I begin?" asked Anna cheerfully. Simon took a large axe off a loop on his backpack, removed the protective, leather covering from the blade and handed it to his apprentice.

"Search the nearby area for a decent tree. Your task it to cut it down and prepare it for a nice, roaring campfire," explained Simon, "Get to it while I start on dinner."

"Certainly, Sensei," said Anna as she stepped away from Simon and walked into the thick brush. It had not taken Anna more than ten minutes to find an old, dead tree: it had not been dead for very long and would be perfect for firewood. However, Anna now had a major problem.

"How do you cut down a tree?" thought Anna. Gardevoirs always used their powers to help with hard labor such as this, but Anna could not and would have to rely solely on her own strength. Otherwise, Simon would end up dragging her back to Gardev on foot. Then, after that, they would try hiking and climbing to the Gardevoir city all over again. Anna was not about to give up or fail her teacher. The young Gardevoir held the axe in her hands and wound up for a swing. Simon smiled as he heard Anna chopping up the tree.

"Let's see how long it takes her," thought Simon as he took out a few cans of beef stew: he glared at the prefab meal, "Now…let's see what I have in my pack to doctor up what most humans dare call good food." Meanwhile, Anna continued to chop away at the large, dead tree.

"This isn't so bad," thought Anna as she cracked a smile. Simon had opened and poured the cans of stew into a small traveling iron. He was rifling through his backpack, searching for a few vials of spices he had brought along. More time passed and Simon was ready for a decent campfire as well as dinner.

"Now that I think about it, perhaps I should have showed Anna how to chop down a tree properly," thought Simon. He banished the idea from his mind, having faith in his student. The sound of cracking wood filled the area. Up above, Pidgeys and Spearows took to the air and flew off in great haste.

"TIMBER!!" shouted Anna as loud as she could. Simon saw a tree shadow moving along the ground. He quickly turned around: the ancient Kabutops now had an answer to his question.

"Sometimes I hate it when I'm right!" thought Simon with fear as a large tree came falling towards him. With a mighty leap, Simon jumped clear of the falling, massive tree. The old tree hit the ground with a thunderous thud, kicking up a thick could of dust and dirt. Simon coughed loudly.

"Anna?!" shouted Simon, "Where are you?!" The dust soon settled, just as Anna approached Simon, still holding the axe.

"Yes, Simon?" asked Anna, unaware of what had just happened, "Did I do a good job cutting down the tree?" Simon glared at Anna, tapping his right foot.

"Yes, you did cut down the tree…" said Simon angrily, "And you almost turned me into a blasted pancake on top of that!" Anna looked behind Simon: she had managed to chop the tree right into the middle of the forest clearing.

"I'm sorry, Simon," said Anna sincerely, "What should I do now?"

"Well, for starters, you will have to cut this tree up into manageable pieces," said Simon.

"How much will we need for the fire?" asked Anna.

"You will chop up this entire tree and get it off the clearing. All of it!" commanded Simon in a stern voice, "The faster you move, the sooner we can have dinner."

"But… but this will take me hours to do," said Anna, overwhelmed with her task.

"Exactly," said Simon, "While you do that I will be trying to salvage whatever is left of our backpacks and provisions." Anna nodded her head in obedience. She made her way to the base of the tree. The trunk was over ten feet wide.

"Well," thought Anna as she held up the axe, "I hope I don't get blisters from this…" Anna was fortunate that it was still summertime. Though it was late in the season, the days were still fairly long. It was well after 7:00 by the time Anna had turned what was once a mighty, giant tree, into kindling and firewood. She dragged the last of the fresh-cut logs out of the clearing. Simon had dug a fire pit and placed a ring of stones around it. Now, a good roaring fire was going and Simon was using his weak telekinetic powers to hold the traveling iron over the flames. Simon was grateful that he had managed to save dinner. The stew was starting to cook, but he figured it could still use something: like more vegetables. He glanced to his right and saw what looked like the thick, green stocks of several wild onions. He sniffed the air: these onions were ripe and would indeed be a perfect addition to the canned stew.

"Anna?" called Simon. Anna slowly walked back to her teacher.

"Yes, Sensei?" asked Anna weakly. Simon reached forward and tenderly took the axe out of her hands.

"It's almost time for dinner," said Simon as he pointed to the green onion leaves on the edge of the clearing, "Now, I want you to pick and dice up a few onions. There's a suitable knife in your backpack. Now, get to it."

"Okay, Sensei," said Anna with a sigh of relief. She was glad to be done with that horrible, oversized stack of lumber. Picking onions was going to be far easier than cutting firewood, or at least so she thought. Anna knelt down next to what seemed like dozens of large onions.

"This should be a snap," thought Anna as she grabbed onto one set of thick leaves with both hands. Simon almost dropped his dinner into the fire when a horrid, bloodcurdling scream echoed throughout the once-tranquil forest.

"Anna!!" shouted Simon with shock, "What the heck are you doing?!" Anna was on her knees on the soft ground, mortified as a scared and screaming Oddish dangled in her hands.

"You sure these are onions?!" shouted Anna, "What a cruel trick, Simon!" Anna let go of the Oddish. It ran, crying with fright, deep into the forest and out of sight.

"There are indeed wild onions in that area," said Simon, relieved that the terrible, nerve-grating screaming subsided as the frightened Oddish continued its hasty departure into the woods, "Besides, as your instructor, it would be most dishonorable for me to toy with you in such a manner."

"Okay, Simon," said Anna as she grabbed another bunch of leaves, "Alright: here we go!" Simon figured: surely, Anna would get it right this time. After all, how difficult could it be to tell an Oddish from a large, wild onion? Anna yelled and tore the plant from the ground. The young Gardevoir and ancient Kabutops were greeted with more horrid screaming from another terrified Oddish. Anna's patience had just run out. In a fury, Anna tore one plant out of the soft earth after another, tossing aside yet more screaming and yelling Oddishes. Reflexively, Simon called upon his unusual powers and was transformed into a male Gardevoir again. He pressed his hands hard against his ears, trying to drown out the terrible screams from the terrified plant Pokémon.

"Must you pull up every single one?!" shouted Simon.

"They're all Oddish!!" shouted Anna as she continued to pull up more of the screaming and frantic plant Pokémon.

"Oh, there's onions is there, alright!!" yelled Simon.

"You think you're so good at this?! Fine!! You try it!!" exclaimed Anna as loud as she could over the very loud Oddish. Simon stepped towards what was left of the sets of thick leaves. The other Oddishes had fled deep into the forest and their screaming eventually was replaced with a tranquil silence. Simon gently grabbed onto another bunch of thick, green leaves. With a quick heave, he succeeded only in uprooting another Oddish.

"What are you doing?!" screamed Anna. Simon promptly and tenderly set the frightened Oddish on the ground.

"Please forgive us," said Simon with a polite bow, "We only wanted some of these large onions."

"You could have just asked us!" said the Oddish: he was clearly in a foul mood, "Go ahead, you jerks! Take your stupid onions and get lost!" The Oddish ran away into the forest as Simon glanced up at Anna.

"There!" declared a thoroughly irritated Simon, "NOW all the Oddish are gone! Now…get me some onions…" Simon stood up and turned back into a Kabutops with a poof of smoke. Anna sighed with relief as Simon stormed back to the campfire. She tenderly picked the ripe onions as Simon returned his attention to his traveling iron and dinner.

"Good thing I didn't say anything about those Rattata eating up all our beef stew," thought Anna. Simon's yell of surprise and anger only seemed to confirm the young Gardevoir's suspicion.

**-41-**

So far the day had been very peaceful and quiet for Aura. Mack was busy down in the lab, so the young Guardian had decided to spend some time on her own, relaxing in her and Mack's bedroom. She looked through the closets as well as the two dressers in the room, checking on the extra white gowns, pants and undergarments. Everything looked fine and there were plenty of extra clothes if needed. As Aura opened Mack's closet, her eyes soon fell on her husband's shimmering wedding dress. Aura giggled: Mack was still nervous about wearing his dress for special occasions and holidays but she could tell that he was getting used to it. Still, Aura couldn't help think that Mack's and her own wedding attire just wasn't flashy enough, especially since they were the Guardians of Gardev. Aura shrugged and closed the door, imagining herself and Mack dressed up in Glacian and Gloria's utterly stunning white dresses and jewelry.

"Dream on, Aura," thought the young Gardevoir blissfully. She laughed to herself as she left the bedroom and took a leisurely walk down to Warren's basement. The doorway to the lab was in the back far corner of the basement, camouflaged as a plain, cement wall. Aura walked up to the wall and then gently knocked on it a few times. A few electronic clicks broke the silence in the large storage room.

"Good afternoon, Aura," said Central cheerfully, "Do you want to come into the lab?"

"Yes, please, Central," said Aura with a smile.

"As you wish, madam," said Central politely as the fake wall slide back a few inches and then slid open to the left, revealing a large, metal blast door, "Security Level-11 detected." The thick, heavy door slowly opened up with a loud hiss, revealing the main elevator.

"Thank you," said Aura happily as she stepped into the elevator. Almost immediately, the elevator began its descent deep into the underground laboratory.

"You're very welcome," said Central, "If you're looking for Mack, he and William are currently in the shooting range."

"Okay. Thank you, Central," said Aura with a nod. Moments later, the elevator came to a gentle stop as the door opened: Aura stepped into the metal-clad hallway. She could hear the sound of muffled gunshots not far from where she stood. She walked down the hallway and looked to her right; she saw the clear walls of the weapons cases. On her left was the main entryway to Central's main control chamber. Just passed the weapon cases, she found the door to the shooting range.

"I'll get the door for you," said Central as the door promptly opened with a soft hiss.

"Alright," said Aura, "Thank you again." Aura covered her ears as a few more gunshots rang out. She stepped into the room and saw Mack with a large .50 caliber rifle in his hands. William was standing on Mack's left with a pair of plastic ear muffs taped to his yellow, black-tipped ears. Mack also had ear muffs and just as he was reloading his large, semi-automatic rifle, Aura came up and playfully wrapped her arms around her mate.

"Gah!" said Mack with surprise and a smile, "Hello, my dear!"

"Hello, my prince," said Aura tenderly as she ran her left hand against Mack's large weapon, "Having fun, honey?"

"I guess so," said Mack with a shrug as Aura released him from her embrace, "I'm just squeezing off a few rounds with some of my oldest weapons. You never know when you might have to use old-fashioned stuff like this."

"So far, he's 50 for 50 at three thousand meters," remarked William as he took off his ear muffs for a moment, "And Mack, I don't think these ear muffs of yours are doing me any good. Man, do I have a headache!"

"I warned you about coming in here," said Mack, "Besides; I don't really have any hearing protection that is made for a large-eared rodent, William."

"Can I try?" asked Aura. Mack turned his gaze on Aura.

"Sure, go ahead," said Mack as he first handed Aura a pair of plastic ear muffs and then handed Aura the heavy rifle. Mack quickly switched the ammo magazines as Aura took aim.

"Central, five class-3 targets," commanded Aura.

"Compliance," replied Central, "Good luck." Over a mile down the long range, three wooden targets, each the size and shape of a five and a half foot human, popped out of a wide slot in the floor. The targets moved about slowly, simulating moving enemy personnel. William doubled over, trying to cover his ears with his small hands. Before Mack could utter a word, Aura took aim through her scope and fired one shot after another with the powerful, dark green sniper rifle. One after another, the flimsy targets were shattered into hundreds of pieces from the high-velocity bullets. The loud bangs of the rifle echoed throughout the immense room.

"Impressive!" said Central with amazement, "You've tied Mack's record!" Aura took off her hearing protection and returned the large weapon to her husband.

"You're a natural," said Mack with amazement.

"I should be," said Aura, grinning at her mate, "After all, we traded strengths when we fused together. Remember?"

"Of course," said Mack as he placed the rifle on a nearby table. He picked up a pair of his FIW-37 Combo Rifles, tossing one of them to Aura.

"Now what are you planning?" asked Aura.

"To be honest, I haven't been able to set a new speed record using the automatic mode on these plasma rifles in millennia," explained Mack, "At least, not on my own."

"Correct," said Central, "The current record requires that one entity hit all thirty targets within the allotted time."

"I get it," said Aura, flashing her mate a mischievous smile, "Since we're married, we are one."

"Exactly," said Mack, grinning back at his wife, "Therefore, we should be able to cut the current time in half."

"This does not seem logical," thought Central, "Then again, I may as well humor them." Mack raised his rifle.

"Central: 30 targets at 100 meters, please," asked Mack.

"Yes, sir," replied Central as Aura got ready to fire.

"Maximum difficulty, please," asked Aura.

"Affirmative," said Central with warm laughter, "Have fun!" The Guardians squeezed the triggers on their glistening weapons, shooting a flurry of red bolts of super-heated gas downrange. William was fortunate: the FIW-37's were much quieter than the .50 caliber. The fast moving targets were decimated in the blink of an eye. Mack and Aura lowered their rifles as the strong smell of smoldering wood and burning paint filled the room.

"1.88 seconds," reported Central, "Most impressive Mack and Aura! Working together, you managed to cut the record precisely in half! Well done!"

"We really were made for each other, weren't we?" asked Mack with warm laughter. Aura blushed and nodded her head in agreement. As the Guardians set their weapons on a nearby table, William ran down the long shooting range to inspect the decimated targets. William whistled with amazement: he was very impressed at what he saw.

"So, princess," said Mack tenderly as he sat down on a nearby bench with his lovely mate, "What brings you here?" Aura shrugged her shoulders and smiled as she faced her husband.

"Oh, I just wanted to ask you something," said Aura.

"Go ahead, my dear," said Mack with a gentle tone of voice.

"Well," said Aura with some hesitation, "I was just wondering about our wedding attire. It just doesn't seem stunning and beautiful enough for us, the Guardians of Gardev." Mack laughed as he wrapped his left arm around Aura.

"So, you think our wedding dresses aren't pretty enough?" laughed Mack, "Please, Aura! What we have is just fine."

"I was just thinking about how our wedding splendor is almost nothing compared to Fredrick and Sakura's," said Aura, "But I think you're right, Mack. What we do have is plenty."

"I'd say our wedding attire is far more than enough," said Mack, smiling at Aura, "That was the most embarrassing day of my life. Why, if my parents had been there, they would wonder what was wrong with me: seeing their eldest son in a wedding dress."

"But you're so handsome and pretty in your wonderful dress," said Aura with a grin, "Is there really something wrong with dressing up for a wedding in your home world?" Mack sighed.

"Of course, the bride and groom always dress their best for their wedding," said Mack, "But the groom never, ever wears an ornate dress. That's just the way things are where I come from."

"So…you mean…" said Aura with sadness, "When we get to your home world, you won't be able to wear your pretty dress out in public anymore?" Mack nodded, holding Aura close to his body.

"I'm only making an exception since the tradition for your people, shall we say, is for both the bride and groom to wear beautiful white dresses," said Mack, "We aren't leaving for over a century anyway. Just savor the days, Aura. You can bet that we'll still have a wonderful time once we are fox and vixen and in our new home together." Aura smiled blissfully and closed her eyes as she leaned against her husband. Her husband had just told her to savor the days ahead and Aura was already getting ideas for exactly that purpose.


	7. Section 7

The Village Guardians

**-42-**

Despite the rogue tree and the Oddish incident, Simon was still determined as ever to train Anna. The last few days and nights had gone well: the two Pokémon had hiked their way onto the glaciers of Mount Ivory and even spent one night in the immense fields of snow and ice.

"Good thing you packed these arctic-weight sleeping bags, Simon," said Anna happily, "I would have frozen to death last night if I had nothing this warm to sleep in." The old Kabutops nodded his head. Simon and Anna were packing up camp and were preparing for the final push to the summit of Mount Ivory and to the hidden Gardevoir city, nestled in the glaciers at the very top of the immense mountain. Simon walked to the edge of the large ice sheet he and Anna had spent the night on: he was actually impressed to be looking down at Mount Terror, far below. He could even see the singed earth where the rogue forest fire had started and quickly spread to.

"Only a few more hours of this and we'll be home free," thought Simon as Anna called out to him.

"I've got everything packed up!" shouted Anna, "Are you ready to go?" Simon turned around.

"I'll be right there!" yelled Simon as he ran back towards the cleared-out campsite. He had barely gone twenty yards when he heard a distant rumble from the mountainside, up above.

"What on earth is that sound coming from?" thought Simon as he soon met up with Anna. She had her backpack on her shoulders and had neatly packed away all of Simon's equipment as well.

"Very good, my apprentice," said Simon with a smile.

"Thank you, sensei," said Anna with a polite bow towards her instructor. Simon was about to lead Anna onward when he looked up and saw a strange, white cloud moving down the mountain. It was picking up speed and becoming ever larger.

"Oh, no!" exclaimed Simon with fear.

"Um, Simon?!" yelled Anna over the rumbling as it got louder and louder with each second, "What is that?!"

"It's an avalanche! Run for it!" shouted Simon. Anna looked back; the monstrous white cloud of the airborne avalanche was closing in on her and Simon far too fast to outrun it. Simon, himself, was out of ideas and was not sure how he, or his student, would be able to get out of this one alive. Anna unfurled her wings and flapped them vigorously, but she could not get airborne. Several of her soft, white feathers dropped to the ground and drifted into the wind.

"A fine time for me to be molting!" thought Anna frantically. She returned her attention to Simon. Instinctively, she knew what had to be done.

"Simon!" shouted Anna, "Stop running!!" Simon stopped in his tracks. He turned around to face Anna just as she wrapped her arms around him.

"What then?" asked Simon tenderly, thinking his and Anna's fate was sealed, "Have you always loved me, or something?" Anna laughed out loud.

"No, silly!" laughed Anna as she closed her eyes.

"Oh, so you want to die laughing now, is it?" asked Simon as the roar from the approaching, lethal avalanche soon became deafening. Anna suddenly opened her eyes: they were glowing with a bright, bluish light. Simon quickly glanced to his left and then to his right: a transparent blue and white-colored bubble of energy had surrounded him and Anna. Simon closed his eyes as the thundering avalanche continued right towards himself and Anna. There was a loud boom and the ground shook violently. Suddenly, the roaring of the avalanche was replaced by silence. Simon opened his eyes, seeing that the rampaging snow had completely covered around Anna's barrier. Only the dim light from the psychic shield provided any illumination.

"Are you okay?" asked Anna quietly.

"Yes," replied Simon, smiling at Anna, "Now, how about you get use free from our frozen prison of ice and snow?" Anna nodded and with a shout, her blue, shimmering barrier exploded outward, blowing away the snow and ice that had covered the two, traveling Pokémon. Simon looked around, impressed at the small crater Anna had made in the hard-packed snow.

"Most impressive, Anna," said Simon with gratitude, "I actually owe you my life." Anna released Simon from her embrace. The old Kabutops took a few steps forward, surveying the scene.

"It's okay, Simon," said Anna happily as she sighed with relief, "Of course…you could always play dress up with me again as a symbol of gratitude." Simon grinned at the grinning Gardevoir.

"I don't think so," said Simon, "In return, I think I'll just take it a bit easier on you when we begin your real training."

"Fair enough," said Anna with a nod and in a depressed tone, "Well, I guess we better start on our way back to Gardev."

"Pardon me?" asked Simon, "Why do we have to head back to Gardev again? I'd like to know."

"Don't you remember?" asked Anna, "I promised not to use any of my psychic powers or to fly during our hike to the Gardevoir city. Since I failed, we have to head back to Gardev and try again from the very start."

"I respect your honesty," said Simon appreciatively, "There are far too few people on this earth who will do the right thing, especially if it is going to cost them something. After all, what just happened was completely unexpected. Surely you don't think I had planned on using an avalanche to set you up for a fall now, did you?"

"Of course," said Anna with a mischievous grin. Simon chuckled to himself as he approached Anna.

"Please, Anna," said Simon, smiling at the young Gardevoir, "Your quick thinking and actions saved us. There is certainly no way I could have protected both of us from that avalanche. Even I would have had a devil of a time just digging myself out."

"Okay, sensei," said Anna, "Then, we're off to the city?"

"Indeed, my apprentice," said Simon as he straightened his backpack and stepped ahead of Anna, "Follow me. If we keep going, we should be at the city gates by sundown."

"I'm right behind you, sensei," said Anna respectfully as she followed close behind Simon. Many centuries had passed since Simon had taken someone as his student and the old Kabutops was looking forward to training this young Gardevoir with great anticipation. Anna was proving to be more able, both physically and mentally, than Simon had ever imagined.

**-43-**

The last few days traversing around the Gardevoir city had been surprisingly peaceful for Ramirez. With his pendant back in Gardev and with his wings well hidden, thanks to Mack's cloaking device, he had not been overrun by mobs of overly eager female Gardevoirs. In fact, he now went about the streets of the hidden Gardevoir metropolis completely unnoticed. He leisurely searched the immense white marble city in his search to find a suitable mate. As he went about his business, he saw other single, male Gardevoirs also out and about the city, seeking mates. It was late summer and wedding season for the Gardevoirs was about to come to a close. Some of the other male Gardevoirs had looked downright desperate. However, Ramirez was not looking for a quick wedding. He knew he had at least another year to find the perfect mate. At the very least, whoever he would choose would be in for one big surprise when he revealed who he really was. For now, he was been going by the name of Watson and claiming to be just a simple farmer.

"Good thing female Gardevoirs don't usually marry for riches or power," thought Ramirez with a blissful smile, "Generally, they care about character, honor and, of course, love." Ramirez knew this wasn't always the case. There were always several dozen, rowdy, young, female Gardevoirs who were all too eager to either marry a Gallade or anyone in the royal family. He stepped into a café on one of the street corners and the sweet smell of fresh-brewed coffee greeted his nose as he took a seat at a small table at the large, front window. The young Gardevoir had known for years that the Gardevoirs of this city had become quite attached to many of the foods and things the humans regularly enjoyed. Coffee, chocolate, ice cream and electricity were just a few things he could think of. The only matter bothering Ramirez about this was how the Gardevoirs got a hold of such things in the first place without stealing them. As he pondered about this, a smiling Gardevoir waitress with a white apron over her gown approached Ramirez.

"Good morning to you," said the waitress happily with a polite bow, "What can I get for you, sir?"

"I'll have a cup of French roast coffee, please," asked Ramirez with a friendly smile, "No sugar or cream."

"Okay!" said the waitress cheerfully, "Is that all for you?" Ramirez nodded.

"That will do just fine," replied Ramirez as the waitress slowly walked away.

"I'll have your coffee out in a jiffy," she said. Ramirez took one last look at the waitress and then returned his gaze to the dark, wooden table.

"That waitress was one of the Gardevoirs who chased after me for hours not more than a week and a half ago," thought a frowning Ramirez, "I'm certainly not ever going to reveal my true identity to her!" A few minutes passed and Ramirez soon had his cup of fresh, aromatic, dark coffee. As the Guardian in disguise slowly sipped and savored his strong brew, he glanced about the small, almost empty coffee shop. His eyes soon fell on what appeared to be a lone, female Gardevoir at a table on the other side of the shop. He got a good glance at her right hand and smiled: there was no wedding band on it, which was strange. She had very unusual coloring: the normally green top of her gown was black, as was the underside of her flowing skirt, which was normally a dark green. She had deep blue eyes and the fins in her chest and back were a deep, dark blue as well. From what Ramirez knew, off-color Gardevoirs, Gallades and old enough Kirlias were always highly sought after as mates. Therefore, it was strange to see an off-color Gardevoir at the age for marriage to not be married or surrounded by hopeful suitors. Ramirez shrugged and smiled.

"I haven't had much luck over the last few months," thought Ramirez with hope, "I may as well introduce myself. Who knows, maybe she is the one for me." Ramirez slowly stood up with the white mug of coffee in his right hand and then cautiously approached the young Gardevoir. She looked up at Ramirez coldly. The young Guardian almost jumped from her icy stare. Feelings of frustration and anger seemed to radiate from her.

"Well, you look like a fine male Gardevoir," she said, almost without emotion, "So; shall we cut straight to the chase, get a pair of wedding dresses and head to the nearest chapel? After all, I'm very stunning, beautiful and will be your perfect bride. Like they all say; off-color Gardevoirs make the best mates, right?" Ramirez was shocked at her sarcasm.

"That's…not what I was going to say," said Ramirez as he regained his composure, "Or do."

"That's surprising," said the female Gardevoir with spite, "I've had to fend off hopeful suitors for years now and you're not going to try and get me to marry you?"

"May I have a seat here with you?" asked Ramirez politely.

"You're not going to talk about marriage, love and such junk, are you?" asked the Gardevoir with slight anger in her voice.

"No," replied Ramirez softly, "I would just like to talk with you. That's all." She nodded as the feelings of anger and frustration abated, ever so slightly.

"Okay, then," she said coldly, "Have a seat before you lose the feeling in your feet." Ramirez carefully sat down in a chair just across from the sour Gardevoir.

"If you don't mind my prying," said Ramirez gently, "You look like a young lady with problem and I don't mean that with any disrespect." She nodded and took a sip of her steaming tea.

"By the way," said Ramirez, "My name is…Watson."

"My name is Angel," said the young Gardevoir, "So, Watson, what do you do here in the city?"

"Angel, huh?" said Ramirez.

"It's a really pretty name," said Angel with stark sarcasm, "Back to the subject; what is you job here, Watson?"

"I'm a farmer," replied Ramirez. He really didn't want to lie, but he knew Angel would be angrier or even more sour if she knew she was talking to the relief Guardian of Gardev. A brief look into the future only confirmed his fear.

"Ah," said Angel as she took another sip of her tea, "So, you're one of the Gardevoirs who tends to the berry groves and vineyards in the forests around the mountain."

"That is true," said Ramirez with some hesitation.

"I'm surprised a lowly farmer would want to even attempt to get to know me or talk to me, not with hundreds of young Gardevoir chefs, craftsman and jewelers vying for my attention," said Angel, "You really have no chance of being my mate. In fact, no one does: period."

"So I see," said Ramirez, "So, what is it that you do for a job in this city?"

"You really want to know, don't you?" asked Angel. Ramirez nodded. Angel coughed a few times.

"I'm a seamstress," replied Angel bluntly, "One of the best in this entire city."

"I see," remarked Ramirez with an appreciative nod, "Do you enjoy your work?" Angel scowled at Ramirez.

"Sometimes I can't stand it," grumbled Angel, "The other seamstresses are always bothering me about finding a mate. You know they consider it a great honor for a seamstress to get to make her wedding dress as well as the one for her mate-to-be?"

"I am aware of that," said Ramirez, taking a sip of his hot, strong coffee, "If you ask me, they should not be bothering you about such a thing. Love is only one part of a good marriage."

"No kidding," said Angel with anger, "I actually can't stand dresses, anyway. What's worse is I have to wear one every day." Ramirez wanted to be careful and not prod too deep, but it seemed like he was about to hear the root of Angel's problem.

"Surely you are appreciated," said Ramirez.

"Yes, I am," said Angel, "After all, I was the one who personally designed and oversaw the making of the wedding dresses for the Guardians of Gardev. On top of that, I oversaw the making of the copies of the king and queen's wedding dresses for a couple of Gardevoirs named Fredrick and Sakura." Ramirez had been wondering for quite some time who was behind the lavish attire of his siblings.

"So it was you who oversaw the making of those fabulous dresses," said an impressed Ramirez, "I got to witness both of those weddings." Angel looked up at Ramirez with burning anger in her eyes.

"I suppose you're going to ask me to marry you now? We've been talking for what, ten minutes now?" asked Angel with hatred.

"Remember, Angel? I only wanted to talk with you," said Ramirez, "Marriage is the least of my concerns right now."

"I suppose you want to help me somehow, too?" asked Angel as she fingers grated into her teacup, "All the others wanted to help me too, telling me about a great future and other rubbish like that. How can I have a great future stuck as a blasted Pokémon?!" Ramirez was shocked and nearly dropped his cup of coffee right onto the marble floor of the shop. Never had he heard of a Gardevoir who hated what she was.

"I…I don't know what to say…" stammered Ramirez.

"I wish I could leave this place and find Jirachi," said Angel as tears streamed down her face, "But, there's no way I could survive out there in the world alone…"

"Since you don't want to be a Gardevoir, what do you want to be?" asked Ramirez softly. For the first time in over half an hour, Ramirez saw Angel smile.

"I wish I was a human," said Angel, smiling as she closed her eyes, "I wish I could go on a Pokémon journey and see the world without having to fear being captured by other humans. Maybe then, I would actually still have a mother and father who cared for me, too."

"What happened to your parents?" asked Ramirez. Angel bowed her head as her once bright smile faded into a frown and more tears.

"They were killed when I was still a Ralts, only a few years old," said Angel as she cried, "Killed by those humans!"

"Then, why do you want to be a human?" asked Ramirez.

"Don't you see?" sobbed Angel, "If I was a human I would have had a human mother and a human father. They would never have been treated as pests and killed just because they wanted some food!" Ramirez wanted to reach out and hold her, but he knew Angel hated being touched by anyone. Ramirez knew all too well the terrible pain and sadness that came from losing parents. He shed a single tear, remembering the day Alexander and Aurora were thought to have been lost.

"This may sound cliché and all," said Ramirez tenderly, "But I know how you feel. My parents were lost, too."

"Yours, too?" asked Angel with disbelief, "How did you get through that? Wasn't it horrible?"

"I'll never forget how I felt that day," said Ramirez, "Only two things kept me going: my family and not dwelling on the past. The past can teach us a lot, but we can't live in it."

"You have all the answers don't you?" scoffed Angel, "That's just what the suitors said, too. I don't want comfort and cheap words. I want my wish and I'll do anything to get it!"

"Jirachi is only awakened once every one thousand years or so," said Ramirez, "How to you intend to live long enough to see him or even be able to search him down?"

"It doesn't matter how long it takes me, even if I have to die before I ever get to see him," said Angel, "I'd rather be dead anyway than to have to live out my life as a stupid Pokémon!"

"That is enough!" shouted Ramirez as he threw his coffee cup to the floor and jumped to his feet, "I've never seen anything like this! A Gardevoir, wishing it was dead!"

"As a matter of fact, I wish I had never been born!" screamed Angel with rage. Ramirez clenched his fists and closed his eyes. He took deep breaths, knowing very well that yelling and screaming was not going to help him or Angel at all.

"Please forgive me," said Ramirez, "I didn't mean to lose my temper like that." Angel glared at Ramirez.

"At least you apologized," said Angel with a shrug, "I forgive you, Watson."

"Thank you, Angel," said Ramirez as he sat back down to the table. The Gardevoir waitress cheerfully came by and quickly cleaned up the broken mug and spilled coffee.

"Well, I'm going to get going now," said Angel as she drank the last of her bitter tea, "Nice meeting you, Watson."

"Nice meeting you as well, Angel," said Ramirez as he stood up from the table. Angel had never met a male Gardevoir who didn't flatter her nonstop only to try and marry her. It had been far too long since she had felt comfortable even just being around another Gardevoir.

"Watson," said Angel, "Could we meet again. Say, next week?"

"Will this coffee shop do?" asked Ramirez.

"Certainly," said Angel, "I don't need anything fancy." Ramirez smiled, sensing how Angel was feeling more comfortable around him. Angel smiled back, just as the waitress gasped.

"Hello?" asked Ramirez as he turned his attention to the young Gardevoir waitress.

"What are you looking at?" demanded Angel with a scowl.

"Nothing, miss," said the waitress nervously, "Nothing at all."

"Good," said Angel as she stood up from her seat and faced Ramirez, "Next week then, Watson."

"Yes, indeed," said Ramirez as he started to leave the small coffee shop, "Have a nice week, Angel."

"I'll try," said Angel with a heavy sigh. She smiled again as Ramirez left the quaint, little shop.

"I've…I've never seen her smile before," thought the surprised waitress, "And there was something strange about that other Gardevoir… like he was hiding something…"


	8. Section 8

The Village Guardians

**-44-**

The sun had set well over an hour ago when Simon and Anna made their way to the hidden gates of the Gardevoir city.

"Ah!" said a delighted Simon, "We've made it."

"And not a moment too soon," said Anna with a loud yawn, "So, what will we do after we've rested up tonight? Do we begin the training tomorrow?"

"As a matter of fact, no," said Simon, "I want you to take it easy and just relax over the next week. I think you've more than earned a break."

"Thank you, sensei," said Anna with a smile and another polite bow towards her teacher.

"Just call me Simon for now," said Simon, "You shall call me your teacher once your training begins. You certainly passed my test with flying colors."

"You mean the hike and climb up here was a test?" asked Anna.

"Indeed," answered Simon, smiling at Anna, "The trek to this city was a test of your own strength and endurance. To say the least, you've impressed me."

"Thank you, Simon!" said Anna with excitement.

"Not a problem at all, Anna," said Simon, "Now, you run along to the palace. I'm sure Glacian and Gloria will be more than happy to have you stay there for awhile."

"Say, why don't you go see Mack's robot, K-1? I think he's still in the city archives and might want your help," suggested Anna.

"That's great idea," said Simon, "You get to bed and I'll go hunt down K-1. I'll bet he hasn't made any progress on that dead language." Simon did now know just how right he was for K-1 was still hard at work in the old city archives.

"This is proving to be more difficult than I can stand!" thought K-1 with frustration. He eyed the sealed door of the ancient, archival vault. He turned his attention to the message engraved on the large door itself. However, to the right of the door, another message had been engraved in the wall. With no progress made whatsoever to decode the language, K-1 still did not have the foggiest idea of what the ancient text actually meant. The robot's normally blue eyes glowed red for a moment, indicating that his patience had just run out.

"That's it! I'm through playing around!" thought K-1 as he turned on his built-in radio once again, "Central? Are you there?" After a few seconds of static, the immense super-computer responded to the irritated robot.

"This is Central," said Central, "How may I assist you, K-1?"

"Send me the prototype spectrum analysis visor that Mack made for me," ordered K-1, "Now's as good a time as any to give it a proper field test."

"Compliance," responded Central, "I'll teleport them onto your face." Moments later, a bright flash lit up the low-lit archive room as the experimental goggles appeared on K-1's face. K-1 walked towards the sealed door of the vault.

"I should have done this on day one!" thought K-1, "Still, I doubt I'll be able to see through this thick, metal door. The X-ray scanner can only see so deep into rocks and other minerals."

"Greetings, K-1," said Simon as he walked up to and alongside the silver robot, "How are things going down here?"

"Well, I found out a lot about the more recent history of this city," answered K-1, "However, I have found no information whatsoever about this unknown language." Simon gazed at the strange messages on the vault door and on a nearby wall. Simon then turned his gaze upon the large combination lock on the heavy, corroded door.

"Glacian wasn't kidding," remarked Simon, "This door really is like the entrance to a large vault."

"Except that it's more secure than even the most serious banking establishments in this world," said K-1, "The metal itself and even the nearby walls are invulnerable: even a plasma thrower and a plasma saber have proven completely ineffective."

"You tried using some of Mack's heavy weapons to no avail?" asked an amazed Simon.

"Indeed," replied K-1, "I even tried teleporting into the room, but just as Glacian said, I was teleported back to the door here without so much as a glimpse inside the sealed room. I even tried tunneling under the floor and drilling holes into the ceiling, but all I found was more of this virtually indestructible metal. Whoever designed this thing really did not want just anyone to gain access to this place."

"Looks like just on over-sized, outdated bank safe, to me," said Simon, "I've gotten into things far more secure than this."

"Is that so?" asked a skeptical K-1, "I spent over a week just trying to crack this safe, myself. The tumblers for the locking mechanism are completely silent. On top of that, no one knows just how the lock works or how many numbers are required to disarm it." Despite K-1's excuses, Simon placed his right ear against the vault door and used his own telekinetic powers to carefully and slowly turn the dial on the large lock.

"This should be a piece of cake…" said Simon under his breath as he listened carefully for the telltale sound of the lock's tumblers lining up. K-1 stood motionless as Simon continued his work hour after hour. By the time it was midnight; Simon had pulled himself away from the vault door and released his psychic grip on the lock's dial.

"Convinced yet?" asked K-1 impatiently.

"Yes, I am," said Simon, "This lock is very impressive."

"Like I said," remarked K-1, "The tumblers are completely silent. Besides, my digital hearing is far more sensitive than even your seasoned ears, Simon."

"Indeed," said Simon as he glared at the large door, "Well, I'm all out of ideas."

"I have one more trick up my sleeves," said K-1 as he gazed upon the sealed door, "If these goggles don't work, then I'll have no choice but to use high-powered lasers or plasma torches again to try and get this door opened."

"You mean Mack and Aura's most powerful cutting tools were no match for this obstacle either?" asked Simon.

"You are correct," replied K-1.

"Then it's almost a pity we have to open this door," said Simon, "Someone put a lot of work to make this room practically impossible to get into." K-1 opened the front doors on his chest, extended a single hand and arm from the compartment and maneuvered it to the switches on the pair of black goggles.

"May as well cut to the chase and try the X-ray mode," said K-1, "It probably won't work, but this is the last idea I have to get in there!" K-1 flipped the switch and gasped as soon as the goggles had powered up.

"Let me guess," said Simon as he crossed his arms in front of his chest, "It didn't work?"

"That's a big negative!" shouted K-1 with great joy, "I may not be able to see all the way through the door or through any of the walls here, but I can see the tumblers for the lock!"

"Is that so?" asked Simon, "So, how many possible combinations are there for this thing?"

"Let's see…25 tumblers, with 10 characters on each tumbler…that equals…" said K-1 as his powerful mind came up with an answer in a flash, "10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 possible combinations. In fact, you even had the first tumbler lined up, but there is know way you could have known that." K-1 reached his arm out and latched onto the combination dial.

"I suspect that it's all smooth sailing from here?" asked Simon.

"I wish!" laughed K-1, "Now I just have to figure out which way to turn the knob for each number. That should take me about…20.6784 minutes."

"Very well," said Simon, "I will wait here." K-1 worked quickly and without any more trouble had managed to line up all the tumblers for the lock. There was a loud "Click!" the moment the last tumbler had been put in its proper place. K-1 turned off his X-ray visor and grabbed onto the door latch.

"Here we go!" said K-1 loudly as he pulled on the latch handle and started to open the door. There was a loud hiss and a rush of air as the ancient door was, at long last, finally opened. Simon coughed as dust filled the air.

"I don't think this place has been opened in ages!" coughed Simon loudly as the dust started to clear. Two Gallades rushed into the room just when the dust had settled.

"Is there a problem here?!" shouted Wallace. He stood in a battle stance with his mighty blades extended, ready to fight.

"I wouldn't say there's a problem, sir!" said Arthur with disbelief, "I think these two just opened the sealed archival room!" Wallace turned his gaze upon K-1.

"Did you do this?" asked Wallace as his blades retracted back into his arms. K-1 nodded.

"Glacian and Gloria shall be very pleased with this!" said Arthur with joyful laughter, "The last kings and queens of this city have been trying for centuries to get this door open! Now, we will finally get to see what's inside."

"Shall we go awaken the king and queen?" asked Wallace with excitement. K-1's eyes started to glow as bright as a flashlight as he stepped into the dark, dry room.

"Let's not count all our Pidgeys before they hatch," cautioned K-1. Wallace glanced at Arthur.

"Grab some torches," commanded Wallace. Arthur hastily grabbed a few torches off a nearby wall and handed one of them to Wallace.

"Let's see what's in there," said Simon as he followed after the curios Gallades. K-1's eye lights pierced into the deep, deep darkness while the torches lit up the immediate area. There were piles upon piles of 4x6 foot stone tablets all over the floor, reaching halfway up to the distant, marble ceiling. Giant book shelves, filled with ancient tomes, lined every inch of the walls in the gigantic room.

"This place is bigger than the Gardev cathedral's sanctuary," remarked Arthur.

"That's an understatement my friend," said Wallace as he glanced about the expansive room in awe.

"Looks like a wealth of ancient information for you to glean through K-1," said Simon as the excited robot carefully pulled one of the fragile tomes off a nearby shelf. K-1 opened the ancient book with great care: his eyes narrowed and he grumbled with frustration once again.

"I should have known," said K-1 as he put the tome back in its place and took a glance at a stone tablet, "Everything in here is written in the unknown dialect."

"Look up there!" said Wallace loudly. K-1 looked at the ceiling and increased the intensity of his eye lights, illuminating the entire ceiling.

"What do you make of that, K-1?" asked Simon. K-1 gazed at the ceiling, recording the thousands of unique symbols that covered the marble surface up above. A number of them matched the ones he had seen on the vault door, on the wall near the sealed door and throughout the Gardevoir city.

"I think what we have here is a complete list of all the symbols of that pesky language," said K-1, "Now I just have to somehow decipher it, but since I have nothing to go on, I'll have to painstaking translate it by trial and error. It may take decades before I can provide an accurate translation on my own."

"Not to mention all these books and tablets to sort through," said Simon. K-1 let out a heavy sigh of despair.

"Yep…there's also that…" said K-1 as he faced Simon, "I hate to send you on a wild goose chase, but I'm still convinced that somewhere in this city, we will find a way to decipher this old dialect." Simon nodded.

"Where should I begin my search?" asked Simon.

"K-1, did you search the off-limits areas of the palace?" asked Wallace. K-1 swiveled his head from side to side.

"Negative," answered K-1, "Those areas are indeed expansive, but none of the guards would let me proceed without permission from the king. He and the queen seemed so busy, so I did not want to disturb them and ask."

"How about I search the palace then?" suggested Simon.

"As the Captain of the Guard, I can let you conduct your search," declared Wallace, "But I can only give you one day."

"Understood," said Simon as he started to leave the room.

"I'll stay here and try to decode the language myself, in the meantime. Just in case we don't find a cipher," said K-1.

"Very well, K-1," said Wallace, "Arthur, let's go." The two Gallades started walking out of the large room.

"I'll have more lights brought in here at once, K-1," said Wallace as he walked through the doorway.

"Thank you," said K-1, "Good night, Wallace and to you as well, Arthur." K-1 stood still once he was alone, using every possible ounce of his processors' power to try and unravel the mystery of the ancient Pokémon language.

**-45-**

Another week passed before Simon was finally rested and ready to search the palace. He had met earlier in the morning with Anna and had told her to meditate and prepare herself for the rough months ahead. Wallace was waiting for Simon at an intersection of four large corridors in the immense palace.

"Good morning, Simon," said Wallace with a friendly smile, "I trust you are ready to begin your search?"

"Indeed," replied Simon, "I have just one day, correct?"

"Yes," said Wallace, "Unless you can get an audience with the king and queen, but they are busy conducting the last weddings of the season. I don't think we'll be able to see them for at least two more weeks."

"Very well," said Simon, "Thank you Wallace."

"You're welcome, Simon," said Wallace as the old Kabutops walked past him, "Just make sure you stay out of sight! No one is actually allowed back there!"

"Is that so?" asked Simon gruffly, "Then why are you letting me go back there?"

"I have complete trust in you Simon. You see, those rooms and corridors ahead have been unoccupied for centuries," explained Wallace, "It is said that many members of the royal Guardian family used to dwell in these areas of the palace and… and…"

"And what?" asked Simon, wondering why the brave Gallade was choked up and holding back tears.

"…And…almost all of them fell ill, one after another and perished," said Wallace, "The last few royal couples who lived in this section of the palace died of a mysterious disease when I had just started my duties as an Elite Guard."

"The Dark Plague?" asked Simon. Wallace nodded.

"It's almost as if that horrid, evil pendant was responsible for so many deaths in the royal family," said Wallace as he dried his tears, "Ever since that black pendant came into the city, the royal family has just seemed to die off, either by strange diseases or by married couples not able to have children. Glacian, Gloria, Alexander, Aurora, Aura, Ramirez, Fredrick and Anna were thought to be the last of the Guardian bloodline. I can only hope the king and queen's descendants will be able to survive and have lots and lots of children."

"Are they really all that remains of the Gardevoir royal family?" asked Simon.

"There are only a handful of family members who went missing," answered Wallace, "And were never heard from again."

"I see," said Simon as he glanced down the darkened, dimly-lit corridor, "I shall be very careful, then."

"Those rooms have been untouched since those days over 200 years ago," warned Wallace, "Be careful not to disturb anything." Simon nodded and started his slow walk down the corridor. Barely a minute passed when Simon looked over his shoulder and saw that Wallace had departed: the ancient Kabutops was now on his own. Simon was very brave, but the legends of the Black Pendant were enough to make his skin crawl. Literally dozens of Gardevoirs were rumored to have passed away in these ancient, white marble halls. He came to a stop at a door for what Simon figured was a bedroom. He slowly opened the door, the creaking of the hinges breaking the eerie silence in the abandoned hallway. He gazed into the bedroom, glancing around at the fine furnishings. Surprisingly, there was no dust or cobwebs anywhere in the room. Fine, oak furniture: tables, chairs, dressers and old glass oil lamps were still properly arranged. The mysterious blue fire from a few torches on the walls lit up the room. From what Simon could gather, the fire was supernatural and always blazed without fuel, smoke or potentially deadly fumes. He gazed at one of the torches and focused. The flames suddenly burned brighter, making the room as bright as if the noon day sun was streaming through the windows. Of course, the large windows in the room had been sealed and boarded up many years ago. Simon focused his concentration on the torch again, dimming its light. He stepped out of the room and slowly closed the door.

"I sense no evil here," thought Simon, "Whatever had caused the deaths of those Gardevoirs all those years ago has moved on." The Black Pendant was thought to not only be an object of the deepest, darkest evil, but it also was rumored to posses a will of its own. For hours, Simon walked down the still, silent, darkened corridors, searching the empty rooms. The silence was incredibly ominous and Simon had this unwanted feeling that someone or something was watching him. He suddenly froze in his tracks: if Simon had any hair, it would be standing on end from an unwelcome presence. He slowly raised his massive, glimmering claws for battle, hoping he could quickly dispatch whatever was behind him. He heard heavy, labored breathing far too close to his left ear. Simon shouted and quickly turned around, madly slashing at the air with his claws. He stopped swiping at the air, looked down and came face to face with a grinning Sableye.

"Confound it all, Gremlin!!" thundered Simon with great anger, "Must you sneak up on me like that?! You almost scared me half to death you miserable, purple blob!!"

"I'm sorry, Simon," chuckled Gremlin with his white, toothy grin, "I just couldn't resist such an opportunity."

"That's just it," grumbled Simon, "You have got to learn some self control. I don't care if it's the nature for you Ghost-Types to torment unsuspecting people, stop it this instant!" Gremlin shrugged his shoulders.

"If that's what you want, very well," said Gremlin, "May I join you on your search?"

"If you want to," said Simon as his pulse finally slowed back to normal, "I could certainly use some company. This place is about as jolly and joyful as a tomb. Besides, how did you get past Wallace and the other Gallades?"

"I've been following and observing you for several weeks," explained Gremlin, still showing his mischievous grin, "I almost died laughing from all your exploits in the forest! Taking Anna as your apprentice was certainly more than you had bargained for, wasn't it?"

"Her training is far from over," said Simon gruffly, "She still has much to learn and we still have to search this deserted area of the palace. I don't suppose you've checked out the other rooms by now, have you?"

"Funny you should say that," cackled Gremlin, "Being able to fly through walls and becoming invisible are quite useful for spying and searching when you certainly don't want to be seen."

"So, you've found nothing then?" asked Simon.

"Yes. Nothing," answered Gremlin. Simon sighed.

"Then we may as well get back to the other side of the palace," said Simon as he started to march down the hallway.

"That we shall," said Gremlin with quiet, maniacal laughter, "By the way, I will say nothing of your performance as 'Alana.' That little secret is safe with me." Simon stopped in his tracks and turned around to face the grinning, purple ghost.

"What?!" shouted Simon with immense fear, "You mean you saw everything that happened with Anna and I?!"

"Like I said, your secret is safe with me," chuckled Gremlin, "After all, there are plenty of other embarrassing things about you I can tell to everyone we know."

"You wouldn't dare, you backstabbing, conniving little monster!" thundered Simon at the grinning Sableye.

"Of course," said Gremlin calmly, "Besides, I'm a NICE backstabbing, conniving little monster."

"Sure you are…" muttered Simon as he walked down the darkened corridor with Gremlin close behind.

"So, you couldn't find any clues either?" asked Gremlin.

"No," said Simon, "We're heading back to where Wallace left me. It shouldn't be too hard to sneak our way back into the inhabited areas of the palace."

"I really do like sneaking," said Gremlin with soft laughter, "Remember when we broke into that Team Rocket facility?" Simon laughed to himself.

"How could I forget?" said Simon, "That Giovanni character never saw us coming. I almost feel bad that Mewtwo leveled Team Rocket headquarters before we could. Oh, well. At least we got a free fireworks show."

"And a whole lot of food!" said Gremlin cheerfully.

"Now that I think about it…" said Simon, remembering the old adventure of his, "Wasn't it you who ate all the chocolate bars we managed to pilfer?"

"Yep! That was me!" said Gremlin with pride.

"Oh, really: Where were you keeping them the whole time?" asked Simon with curiosity. Gremlin just cackled.

"That's my secret," said Gremlin with a fiendish smile, "I keep some of my other… personal things in the same place."

"Whatever," said Simon with a sigh. Before long, the two Pokémon were back in the brightly lit intersection of the palace corridors. Simon was very disappointed and knew K-1 would not take the news very well that he had found no clues at all for solving the mystery of the ancient Pokémon language.

"Hey, Simon," said Gremlin as he ran towards a white, marble wall a few yards away from the junction in the corridors. Simon followed after the excited Sableye.

"What is it?" asked Simon. Gremlin pointed up at a relief sculpture in the wall.

"Look at that," said an awestruck Gremlin. A few feet above Simon's head was a large, detailed picture carved into the wall: depicting a pair of Gardevoirs, kneeling with their heads bowed before a cross. The level of detail was amazing, but what really caught Simon's attention was how both Gardevoirs possessed majestic, feathery wings. On top of that, each Gardevoir was wearing a familiar pendant. Simon figured the picture surely had something to do with the Guardians of Gardev.

"This must have been carved centuries ago," said Simon with awe, "Perhaps a Gardevoir or a Gallade had seen the future and carved this?" Gremlin walked away to another carved picture about 5 feet from the first one.

"Check this out!" said Gremlin with glee, "There's another picture here just like the other one, only it's…mirrored…" Simon walked up behind Gremlin to get a better look at the picture.

"I'm going to be very put out if the answer to our problem was right here at the start of this search," thought Simon. He stepped to his left and stared at a plain, white marble wall between the two pictures.

"Hey! I'll just phase through the wall!" said Gremlin as he charged forward, ready to slip through the hard marble. Simon watched and grinned as Gremlin slammed face first into the wall, stopped dead in his tracks. The Sableye dropped to the floor, knocked silly from the harsh impact.

"Whatever is back there must be very important to be ghost proof," thought Simon as he pressed his left ear against the wall and knocked against it a few times with his right claw. He heard echoing: there was indeed something behind the wall. He took another glance at both pictures and saw an identical message written on each panel in the unknown dialect.

"Wow!" said Gremlin as he staggered to his feet, "Never met a wall I couldn't go through before. I'm gonna try again, but this time, from below!" Simon watched as Gremlin slipped through the marble floor and out of sight. The sage Kabutops stood still, laughing to himself as he heard several muffled thuds and ouches from the stubborn Sableye. Gremlin finally phased out of the ceiling, falling to the floor and collapsing with exhaustion.

"Man! That place is just as hard to get into as that stupid archive! What in heck are they keeping in there?!" shouted a frustrated and defeated Gremlin. Simon chuckled.

"Sometimes, but not always, all it takes is a little brute force to solve a problem!" shouted Simon as he charged forward with his claws drawn. A loud boom and the sound of crumbling marble filled the immense hallways.

"What the heck was that?!" demanded Arthur, several yards away from where Simon and Gremlin stood.

"Oh, no…" thought Wallace, "Simon better not have broken something important back there…"

"Sir, what should we do?" asked Arthur. Wallace looked up at the young Gallade.

"Summon the rest of the Elite Guard and get word to the king and queen at once," ordered Wallace, "I think they had better get a first hand look at what may have happened down there."

"Yes, sir!" said Arthur with a salute as he ran down the hallway. Wallace immediately began a hasty dash in the opposite direction, having a good idea where the loud sounds came from.

"Whatever you did down there, it better be good or Glacian will have your head!" thought Wallace nervously. Meanwhile, Simon and Gremlin had managed to quickly clear away the rubble.

"I thought so!" said Gremlin as he threw the last marble shard against the opposite wall, "The wall is hollow!" Simon grabbed a nearby torch off the wall and stepped into the dark hole in the wall. He smiled when he saw several dozen piles of stone tablets, just like the ones in the once-sealed archival room. He put the torch in a dusty holder on a nearby wall, picked up one of the stone tablets using telekinesis and took a good look at the ancient tablet. There were two messages on the tablet, one at the top and one at the bottom with a 4 inch, blank line between the two messages. The top message was written in the dead Pokémon dialect, while the bottom message was written in a very familiar language, or at least that is what Simon thought. Gremlin jumped onto Simon's left shoulder and also took a good, long gaze at the tablet.

"Cool! Is that Japanese at the bottom?" asked Gremlin with great anticipation. He hoped he and Simon had finally unearthed the cipher for the old Pokémon language.

"No…" said Simon, "This isn't Japanese…"

"Huh? What do you mean?" asked Gremlin. Simon held the tablet up, closer to Gremlin.

"Take a look," explained Simon, "The language on the bottom only looks like Japanese, but the symbols don't make much sense to me. I think this might be…"

"What in the world are you doing?!" thundered Glacian with hot anger behind the startled Kabutops and Sableye. Simon and Gremlin slowly stepped out of the freshly, destroyed wall.

"Hold it right there," said Vladimir with his blades drawn. Simon looked up at the king and queen of the Gardevoir city, in their wedding splendor and golden crowns. Glacian was clearly angered while Gloria had a worried look on her face. Glacian glared at Wallace.

"Wallace, I thought I told you to never allow anyone into this cursed area of the palace!" said Glacian with unbridled rage.

"That will be quite enough," said Simon sternly as he boldly approached the king. He threw the stone tablet down on the ground at Glacian's feet. The Gallades had their blades drawn, ready to attack.

"What is this?" demanded Glacian.

"Take a look, your highness," said Simon, "This is the key to breaking that ancient code. There are several thousand more of these in the room behind me." Simon pointed his right claw at the dark opening of the once-hidden storage room.

"So I see," said Glacian, "I hope you will forgive my outburst, Simon and Gremlin. You see, so many members of the royal family have died in this part of the palace from suspicious causes. Because of that, the last king, my great-great grandfather, decreed that this part of the palace was forever off limits to honor the dead until such time as the Black Pendant is finally purified. The sentence for violating this decree is death." Gremlin gulped, but Simon was not worried for Glacian and his queen were smiling.

"Well done, Simon and Gremlin!" said Gloria with sheer joy.

"Indeed, Gloria," said Glacian, smiling at Simon and Gremlin, "Now we may finally be able to relearn this ancient language and teach it the citizens of the city as well. I'll bet my throne this Japanese cipher will provide the answers."

"I'm afraid it may not be so easy," said Simon, "The language below, I think, is Chinese."

"Chinese?" asked Gloria as she faced Glacian, "Honey? Is Chinese taught in the schools here?"

"No," replied Glacian with a frown, "The Ralts and Kirlia here only learn English and Japanese, the main languages in this part of the world."

"What are you all so worried about?" asked Gremlin as he tapped his right foot impatiently, "I'll bet K-1 knows that language."

"You're right," said Glacian, "I'll have some Gardevoirs start taking these tablets to K-1 at once." Simon glanced back into the dimly lit room, at the piles of stone tablets.

"Your highness," said Simon, "If you may, I would like to handle this task myself." Glacian nodded his head.

"As you wish, Simon," said Glacian happily, "I'll leave this task in your capable claws. Wallace, please send the guards back to their posts."

"At once, your Excellency," replied Wallace as he turned to face his comrades, "Alright everyone, back to your posts, on the double." The Gallades marched away down the corridor. Gremlin couldn't help but notice the evil grin on Simon's face.

"What are you plotting?" asked Gremlin with a fiendish smile, "Gonna steal the tablets or something?"

"Of course not!" laughed Simon, "As a matter of fact, this solves a few major problems with Anna's training. You see, I was going to have her clean up the palace for the next two months as a greater test of her patience. Instead, I'm going to order her to carry these tablets, which may only be a few at a time, to K-1 so he can analyze them. Not only should it take several months, but it will surely push her patience and strength to the very limit."

"That's just cruel," said Gremlin, no longer smiling.

"I'm actually being very nice to her," said Simon.

"You call that nice?" demanded Gremlin.

"Don't you remember?" asked Simon, "I had my last student do nothing but clean and cook for five years before I would teach him anything!"

"I guess so," said Gremlin with a shrug.

"I've only got her under my thumb for another five months," said Simon, "I have so much to teach her and so little time."


	9. Section 9

The Village Guardians

**-46-**

K-1 was standing absolutely still, using his powerful processors to find a translation of the unknown language. With literally millions of possibilities, finding a solution by trial and error was going to take a long time: possibly several years.

"Good afternoon, K-1," said Simon happily as he stepped into the ancient archival room. K-1's eyes flicked on, reverting to their normal, soft blue color as he put his translation programs on hold. K-1 stood up straight and faced Simon.

"Hello, Simon," said K-1 grimly, "You sure are upbeat considering the current problem we have…"

"Which I happen to have a solution for," interrupted Simon. K-1's eyes opened wide.

"Say what?!" exclaimed K-1, "What did you find?" Simon glanced at the doorway and called out.

"Anna, please show K-1 what Gremlin and I dug up," said Simon. Anna walked through the doorway with three of the large, granite tablets in her arms. She walked up to K-1 and set the tablets at his feet. K-1 looked down at the tablets and immediately recognized the languages.

"Ah! The Pokémon dialect and Chinese!" said K-1 with excitement, "This will be a snap! Where did you find these?"

"They were behind a wall in a hidden storeroom. There are thousands more of them," explained Simon, "Anna shall be bringing the tablets to you one bunch at a time. She will also take them away back to the storeroom. I estimate that the whole procedure may take up to a month."

"That's fine with me," said K-1, "I'll need plenty of time to process and translate all this information anyway."

"You mean I have to carry these tablets back and forth from the storeroom on the other side of the palace until K-1 has read every last one of them?" asked Anna with dread.

"That is correct, my apprentice," said Simon, grinning at the young Gardevoir, "You shall carry those heavy, granite tablets throughout the day, only taking breaks for meals, sleep and other such things. Once you complete your task, then, you shall receive the training you seek."

"This isn't fair, Simon!" complained Anna, "You said you would take it easy on me!"

"And I am," said Simon, "Just take your time and carry as many tablets at a time as you can. If nothing else, this will be another great test of your patience and may even increase your physical strength. Then again, if you really don't want to do this, I can surely find something far more foul for you to do." Anna let out a heavy sigh.

"Okay, then…" said Anna with a bow, "…sensei."

"Very good," said Simon, "Now, I must go prepare myself. I have much to teach you when you are ready." Simon walked out of the room leaving Anna alone with K-1.

"Well, thank you, Anna," said K-1 with delight as he extended a pair of arms from his chest compartment, grabbing onto one of the tablets, "I really appreciate your help. Besides, I would certainly appreciate your company as well."

"Well, I guess we're really going to get to know each other," said Anna cheerfully. K-1 smiled and nodded his head.

**-47-**

Ramirez was off to see Glacian at the palace. Before his next meeting with Angel, he needed answers to some burning questions. Fortunately, Glacian and Gloria were not busy, so he was given an immediate audience with the king and queen. Glacian and his queen smiled as their oldest great-great grandson approached their thrones. Even without the pendant and Ramirez's wings completely hidden, they knew very well who this young Gardevoir was. Glacian and Gloria stood up to meet Ramirez. The throne room doors were sealed shut to help protect Ramirez's identity.

"Welcome Ramirez," said Glacian with happiness, "What brings you here, my dear, great-great grandson?"

"What do you know about a young Gardevoir named Angel?" asked Ramirez. Glacian's bright smile quickly turned into a frown.

"You did say 'Angel,' right?" asked Glacian. Ramirez nodded.

"Who's Angel, my love?" asked a curious Gloria.

"A very troubled young Gardevoir," explained Glacian, "I'm afraid her tale is a very sad one. You see, she was living in the wild with her parents. She was only a few months old when her parents vanished. No one knows if they were killed or captured, but Angel believes they were killed searching for food during one of the coldest winters we've had in these parts in over twenty years. If it had not been for a traveling Gallade, she surely would have frozen to death from the cold. He brought her here to the palace where I made the official decree that Wallace and his mate would raise her as their own daughter. Despite the good fortune and, I would say, the Lord's great mercy in sparing her, she never did recover. Angel has been angry for many years now and no one has ever been able to pry into her mind. No one knows what she may have seen as a very young Ralts, but it must have been horrid. She may still be cold and full of anger and hatred, but she did take a liking to sewing. She's one of the best seamstresses in the entire city: I personally asked her to oversee the creation of Fredrick and Sakura's wedding dresses. In fact, Alexander and Aurora also asked her to make Mack and Aura's wedding dresses as well."

"I see," said Ramirez, "She mentioned that to me, too."

"What did she have to say to you?" asked Glacian with immense curiosity, "In fact, how were you able to talk to her?"

"I simply said that I wasn't interested in marriage and just wanted to talk," replied Ramirez.

"I see," said Glacian, "I hope those young suitors have quit bothering her by now."

"I would say they haven't," said Ramirez.

"Well, how did things go?" asked Glacian.

"We talked for awhile," said Ramirez, "Things started off pretty rough, but eventually, she got more comfortable speaking with me. Why, she even smiled at me before we left the café."

"She smiled?" asked Glacian with his eyes opened wide, "And…she liked being with you…?"

"Yes," said Ramirez with a smile.

"That's great news!" said Glacian with joy, "Maybe she is finally going to be happy for the first time here in the Gardevoir city. Wait until Wallace and his wife hear about this: they'll be overjoyed!"

"I'm sorry, Glacian, but I don't think that's such a good idea," cautioned Ramirez, "I kinda want to keep what happened between her and me a secret for now."

"I respect that," said Glacian, nodding his head, "What do you intend to do next?"

"I'm going to meet her in the café we met at," answered Ramirez, "I just wanted to know what had happened to her."

"Indeed," said Glacian, "There still is much we don't know about her and I can only hope and pray that her parents are still alive. The good Lord made her a Gardevoir for a reason and we will see why sooner or later."

"Maybe…to be my mate?" asked Ramirez, blushing deeply.

"Don't get too excited, my son," said Glacian, "We have yet to see what will come of this."

"I agree," said Ramirez.

"Have you talked to your father about this?" asked Glacian.

"No," said Ramirez, "But he has talked to me a lot about what's expected of a husband."

"And you've taken every word of his to heart," said Glacian, smiling at his descendant, "I do have some good news for you, Ramirez. I have foreseen this: One year after Enrique and Anna are married, it will be your turn to be wed. I don't know who you will marry, but you will have a mate before long."

"You're going to have a wonderful future," giggled Gloria.

"Don't I know it," said Ramirez with a blissful sigh, "Well, I better get going. I don't want to be late for my date."

"Good point," said Gloria with a bright smile, "Have a wonderful evening, Ramirez."

"Indeed. Have a great time," said Glacian with joy as Ramirez walked out of the throne room.

"So, honey, did you want to get to bed now with me?" asked Gloria as she smiled and blushed at her beautifully-dressed husband. Glacian smiled at his lovely mate as he wrapped his left arm around her.

"Yes, we shall," said Glacian. Gloria laughed as Glacian took her up in his arms and carried her out of the throne room.

"I hope Angel will be alright," said Gloria tenderly.

"Maybe having Ramirez in her life will be the best thing for her," said Glacian, "She wishes to be a human, but that will never come true. However, this I know: she is going to be very happy and very, very soon at that." Ramirez ran to the café in great haste. He slowed down to a slow walk as he approached the shop. As he entered through the front, glass and bronze door, he saw another male Gardevoir sitting and talking with Angel. To say the least, Angel was not enjoying herself.

"There you are, Watson!" said Angel with a frown, "I've been waiting for you for several minutes now!"

"Oh? Is this that farmer you were talking about?" asked the male Gardevoir with a scowl, "Why don't we have some coffee and get to know each other better?"

"I can see right through you," grumbled Angel, "You're a young jeweler, seeking a mate and you only want to marry me because of my stupid colors!"

"And what is wrong with that?" asked the Gardevoir, "Surely such outward beauty is present inside as well."

"That will be enough," said Ramirez forcefully, "Now; you leave the lady alone and don't bother her again, understood?" The young male Gardevoir glared at Ramirez

"Very well," said the Gardevoir jeweler as he stood up from the table, "I wouldn't want a sour, cantankerous mate, anyway."

"Don't forget to tip the waitress," said Angel mockingly as the male Gardevoir stormed out of the café.

"Sorry I'm so late," said Ramirez as he sat down at the table with Angel. She smiled at him.

"Thank you for telling that man off," said Angel, "He was really getting on my nerves."

"So I saw," said Ramirez, "Shall I get you something to drink?"

"No thank you, Watson," said Angel, "I just want to talk."

"Okay," said Ramirez, "What shall we talk about, then?" Angel sat back in her chair and thought for a moment.

"I don't know where to begin…" said Angel.

"How about your parents?" asked Ramirez, "Glacian doesn't seem to think they are dead."

"What does he know?" scoffed Angel as her eyes glowed with an unnerving red light, "He spends all day in the palace these days dressed up as a pretty boy!"

"Please show some respect for our king," said Ramirez, "He really is quite wise and caring. I just spoke with him not more than twenty minutes ago." Angel's eyes returned to their normal, blue color.

"I'm sorry, Watson," said Angel in a remorseful tone of voice, "I just don't know what to say. It's been so long since I've had anyone to talk with besides my foster parents."

"I'm sure they love you a lot," said Ramirez.

"There you go, again," giggled Angel, "You have all the answers, don't you, Watson?"

"I wouldn't say so," said Ramirez, "We've all made mistakes in our lifetime. I'm not perfect, you know."

"Well?" asked Angel.

"Well, what?" queried Ramirez.

"Aren't you going to say I'm perfect?" asked Angel.

"I don't know how to answer that one," replied Ramirez.

"I know," said Angel, "I can read you very well, but…you seem to be hiding something… You sure are powerful. No other Gardevoir has ever been able to resist my power. I always read the minds of Gardevoirs who talk with me so I can figure out their motives. You're so different from the other Gardevoirs."

"Well, I have a hard question for you, Angel," said Ramirez, "If you had to stay as a Gardevoir for the rest if your life, what would you do?"

"I think I'd go insane!" snarled Angel.

"Even if you could never be alone again? Maybe even be with someone who wants to care for you and love you for the rest of your days?" asked Ramirez.

"I knew it!" snapped Angel, "You're going to ask me to marry you! I should have seen it coming!" Ramirez chuckled.

"I hate to ruin your anger, Angel, but that is not at all the case," said Ramirez calmly.

"Is that so?" asked Angel with a harsh voice.

"Honestly. I wanted to ask if I may help you find your parents?" asked Ramirez. Angel looked up at Ramirez, staring at him as if he was completely insane.

"My parents are dead," said Angel, "I told you."

"How do you know this?" asked Ramirez. Angel said nothing but continued to glare at Ramirez.

"What are you hiding?" asked Ramirez as he stared into Angel's eyes, "I don't mean to pry, but what did you see? You must remember something about the day your parents were taken from you." Angel stood up from the table in hot anger.

"I…I don't know…" said Angel, "I believe that concludes our meeting. Goodbye, Mr. Watson." Ramirez reached out and grabbed Angel's right arm. Angel shrieked.

"You let go of me, you monster!" shouted Angel as she struggled to get away from Ramirez, "You're not going to pry into my mind! I don't want to remember what happened!"

"Calm down, Angel…please," said Ramirez tenderly, "If there's one thing I've learned it's that you can't run away from your problems and forgetting them solves nothing."

"No Gardevoir has ever been able to probe my mind, either!" said Angel, "And Glacian is too chicken to even try!"

"He's not going to force you to do anything you don't want to do," said Ramirez as Angel stopped struggling, "Neither will I." Angel looked deep into Ramirez's eyes.

"Hold me…" said Angel softly

"Why?" asked Ramirez as he released his grip on her arm.

"Because I need you to!" said Angel as she cried out in anguish. Ramirez wrapped his arms around the saddened Gardevoir, gently stroking her back.

"There, there…" said Ramirez softly, "I'm here for you." Angel looked up at Ramirez as tears streamed down her face.

"If I let you see what I saw…" said Angel as she reached up and dried her eyes, "Will you promise not to tell me?"

"I promise," replied Ramirez. Angel closed her eyes.

"Then do it," said Angel, "Before I change my mind." Ramirez closed his eyes, focusing his power as he held Angel close. The Gardevoir waitress watched closely from the other side of the café: she was shocked.

"Angel never lets anyone hold or even touch her, not even her adoptive parents," thought the waitress, "What is going on here?" For over an hour, Ramirez and Angel embraced. The waitress watched, mystified at this sight, only looking away to tend to a few other thoroughly perplexed customers.

"What do you see?" asked Angel. Ramirez opened his eyes.

"You think you can handle it?" asked Ramirez. Angel nodded.

"You can tell me if you want," said Angel, gathering up her courage, "I'm ready." Ramirez nodded and spoke gently.

"I saw your parents, alright," said Ramirez, "They were colored just like you are."

"What else did you see?" asked Angel with dread.

"I'll just be blunt," said Ramirez as Angel braced herself for the worst, "Your parents may be alive after all."

"How can that be?" asked Angel.

"Maybe it's because you wanted to forget what happened," said Ramirez, "I know I wanted to forget how I felt when my parents vanished. You managed to force yourself to forget what happened that night all those years ago."

"I know," said Angel, "So what did you see?"

"From what I can tell, your parents were captured by poachers. To protect you, they hid you in the hollowed out trunk of a tree, where you stayed for the entire night," said Ramirez, "Until Wallace the Gallade found you."

"You saw my parents?" asked Angel with stark disbelief, "They really could be alive?"

"I bet they are," said Ramirez, "I also bet we can find them and I think I know who can help us."

"Who? Glacian?" asked Angel.

"The Guardians of Gardev," said Ramirez, "I know them very well: they even saved me once."

"Say…" said Angel with a smile, "Now you know my deepest secret, one I didn't even remember or want to remember. I know you're hiding something from me, Watson." Ramirez looked deep into Angel's blue eyes and smiled. He knew he could trust her now, as she trusted him.

"First, I want to apologize for lying to you," said Ramirez as he bowed his head, "My name is not Watson and I'm not a farmer."

"I already know that," said Angel with a grin, "I forgive you, my friend. Now, what I don't know is who you really are and what you really do." Ramirez nodded as he reached behind his back. Angel's eyes opened wide as Ramirez held out the legendary emerald pendant of the Guardians of Gardev.

"The emerald pendant!" said a very surprised Angel, "That means you…you are…!" Ramirez put the pendant around his neck and reached behind his back again, turning a knob on an unseen machine. The waitress almost fainted when she saw the white, folded wings on the Gardevoir's back. Ramirez smiled as he set the strange, small gray box on the table. With a quick "Whoosh!" he unfolded his majestic, beautiful wings. Angel was stunned and mystified at this sight.

"You!" said Angel with amazement, "You're the relief Guardian of Gardev, Ramirez!"

"Yes, I am," said Ramirez.

"Then, why didn't you tell me?" asked Angel.

"If I revealed who I was, would you have listened to me, honestly?" asked Ramirez. Angel bowed her head.

"I guess not…" said Angel with a sigh.

"Besides, if I had revealed that I am a Guardian of Gardev, I would have been swamped by young, female Gardevoirs, wanting to marry me just because I'm a member of the royal family and because I have wings," explained Ramirez. Angel laughed.

"We have more in common than I thought!" said Angel with a bright smile as she embraced Ramirez, "Did you really come here just to help me?"

"I have to be honest," said Ramirez, "I only came to the city to find a mate, but when I saw you I could see that you needed some help and I was not about to turn away from you without trying."

"That's so sweet of you," said Angel happily, "Thank you."

"You're very welcome, Angel," said Ramirez, "Now, we'd better get going."

"Where are we going?" asked Angel, "There's so much to talk about." Ramirez smiled as he held Angel close.

"We're going to find your parents!" declared Ramirez.

"Is that all?" asked Angel as she blushed, smiling at Ramirez.

"Of course not," said Ramirez, "We're going find you parents, rescue them if need be so I can ask your father if I may marry you." Ramirez and Angel blushed at each other.

"Ramirez, I do believe this is the first time I've ever been asked to be married," said Angel, "And actually want to be."


	10. Section 10

The Village Guardians

**-48-**

Mack and Aura heard a loud knock on their bedroom door. Mack slowly opened his eyes and took a look at his digital alarm clock. Mack squinted his eyes, trying to read the red, LED display. He rubbed his eyes a few times, finally able to read the clock.

"1:30 AM?" asked Mack to himself with a loud yawn, "What's going on here?"

"Are you okay, honey?" yawned Aura as she sat up in bed. The loud knocking resumed.

"Mack?! Aura?!" shouted Ramirez from the other side of the door, "Are you awake?! I need to speak with you!"

"Just a moment!" said Mack as he climbed out from under the soft red sheets his of bed. He started for the door, still drowsy, when he realized something important: he may have been wearing his flowing, white gown, but all he had under it was his briefs. They were clearly showing through the front slit of his skirt. He ran to his dresser, pulled out a fresh pair of white pants and quickly put them on under his skirt. He glanced at Aura: she was also hastily getting on a pair of pants under her flowing skirt as well.

"To think we almost greeted them in our underwear," giggled Aura. Mack nodded as he ran to the door with Aura at his side.

"Okay?" asked Mack with impatience, "Where's the fire, Ramirez?"

"Oh? Who's your friend?" asked Aura with a smile and a yawn.

"My name is Angel," said Angel with a curtsey, "It's an honor to meet you, Guardians of Gardev."

"Now, now, there's no need for such formality," said Mack, feeling more awake and cheerful, "So, what brings you here? Unless, of course, you and Ramirez just wanted to bother Aura and I in the dead of night for fun."

"Did you get engaged already, Ramirez?" asked Aura with a grin.

"Actually, I haven't asked Angel to marry me just yet," explained Ramirez, "I want to help her find her parents so I can ask her father first."

"So, what do you need mine and Aura's help for?" asked Mack, trying not to lose his patience.

"Here's the deal," said Ramirez, "Angel remembers seeing her parents getting captured by humans several years ago when she was a very young Ralts."

"I'm hoping you might know who did this so we can find them and make those men tell us what happened to my mom and dad," said Angel with growing anger, "And make them pay!"

"I'm certainly not going to help you if you only plan on vengeance," said Mack, "Most likely, whoever those men were have already been caught and are serving one tough sentence in prison: especially, if they were caught in the Gardev region."

"Can you promise us that you won't hurt them?" asked Aura, "Too much, anyway?"

"I promise," replied Angel.

"Very good, now, Ramirez," said Mack as he stared at his younger brother-in-law, "Care to tell us what those men looked like?" Ramirez produced a pencil sketch from behind his back, handing it to Mack and Aura. Judging by the Guardians' reaction, Ramirez knew Mack and Aura recognized Angel's parents' captors.

"Well…what do you know," said Mack as he studied the drawing closely, "These men look just like those poachers Aura and I bagged last year, only younger."

"So you know them?" asked Angel with excitement. Mack and Aura nodded their heads and smiled.

"They are both currently spending the next ten years behind bars, plus they had to pay a hefty fine," explained Aura.

"I think that's too light for what they did to me and my mother and father!" snapped Angel.

"If you please," said Mack sternly as he glared at Angel, "Not only will they have to serve prison time and lose almost all the money they have, but they also have been blacklisted for any job that deals with Pokémon. Just think, the two poachers, Earl and Wayne, have spent the last few decades throwing their future away and I would hate to see Glacian banish you, or worse, have you executed for murder. I don't deny what they did was terrible, but it does not justify a sentence of death."

"That's what I think, too," said Ramirez, "It's been hundreds of years since a Gardevoir from the city has been banished for an insurrection. In fact, it's been ages since any resident of the Gardevoir city had to be tried as a criminal."

"Okay," said Angel with a heavy sigh, "I'll leave their punishment to the humans…"

"That's exactly what I wanted to hear," said Mack, "Therefore, we will tell you where to find Earl and Wayne. I would not be surprised if they know where your parents are, Angel."

"You'll find them in the Alakaz Maximum Security Prison," said Aura, "It's in the middle of the Orre desert, several miles for the city of Alakaz itself."

"Thank you!" said Angel happily, "Thank you very much, Guardians of Gardev!"

"Now, you two should probably get some rest and start your little quest in the morning," suggested Mack.

"No! I can't go to sleep knowing my parents might still be alive! I have got to find them!" declared Angel.

"I'll be happy to come with you," said Ramirez.

"Thank you, Ramirez," said Angel happily, "Let's get going, to the Alakaz prison."

"Mack," said Aura, "Wouldn't it be a better idea to visit the prison at night anyway so they can hide easier?"

"Good point, Aura," said Mack with a nod, "I don't think the guards would let a few Pokémon into the prison and certainly not without a trainer. Okay, you two should get going, then. Do you need a ride? I can take you to Alakaz myself, if you'd like." Angel shook her head back and forth.

"No thank you," said Angel as she looked at Ramirez's face, smiling at the young, male Gardevoir, "I want him to carry me."

"Okay!" said Ramirez with delight, "I'll be happy to."

"Well, be careful out there and God be with you," said Aura.

"Thank you," said Ramirez and Angel in unison.

"Good night, Guardians!" said Angel as she and Ramirez walked away from the bedroom doorway and started on their way down the long hall of the mansion.

"You think they'll make it?" asked a concerned Aura.

"Heh," said Mack, "They'll be fine. Besides, if they do have to rescue Angel's parents, I'm sure that young Gardevoir will be more than happy to lay a good beat-down on anyone who dares to get in her way."

**-49-**

It was only 4:30 in the morning at the gleaming steel and concrete prison, thirty miles south of the great city of Alakaz. A light wind blew across the neighboring sands of the immense desert. It was still dark and the only people still awake at the jail were the guards and the warden on the graveyard shift. Earl was sleeping soundly in his bunk below his old friend, Wayne. Suddenly, he was startled awake by voice.

"Wake up…" growled the voice with anger, "If you scream, I will utterly destroy you."

"Who is it?" asked Earl with a yawn, "Is that you, Cyan? Have you come to break us out of jail after all?"

"You're a fool, Earl," said the gruff voice with increasing anger, "Surely you didn't think you would get away with poaching Gardevoirs with just a fine and a prison sentence, did you?"

"Who are you?" demanded Earl with fear in his voice as he reached for and switched on a nearby lamp. He gasped at the pair of Gardevoirs looming over his bed.

"I am a Guardian of Gardev," said Ramirez harshly, showing off his gleaming pendant and spreading out his white wings. Earl had to cover his mouth to keep himself from screaming out loud.

"What…what…do you want…from me?" stammered Earl, shaking with great fear. The strangely-colored Gardevoir leaned over close to Earl's face. The old man knew he was dealing with a beautiful female Gardevoir and a very angry one at that.

"I will only ask once…" warned the young Gardevoir as she growled with rage, "My name is Angel and I demand to know what you and your accomplice did with my parents. Now speak, or I will make you wish you had never been born!"

"Who are you talking to, Earl?" asked Wayne, yawning loudly as he sat up in bed, "Is it time for breakfast already?"

"Go back to sleep," said Ramirez as he glared at Wayne, "You make one sound and you're toast."

"Okay, okay," said Wayne as he slid back under his covers, pulling them over his head. Earl took a close look at Angel: with her black-topped gown, the black underside of her skirt and her deep blue eyes and fins on her chest and back.

"Now I remember," said Earl, "It was 13 years ago when Wayne and I went into the Gardev Preserve. We ambushed a pair of Gardevoirs with coloring just like yours. We couldn't ignore such a find, so we captured them."

"So, it was you," said Angel with unbridled rage as she grabbed Earl by his neck, "Now, what did you do with my parents? Tell me right now and I'll let you live. Agreed?"

"I'm in no position to refuse!" said Earl with fright, "Please! There's no need to get rough, Angel! I'm far too old to get in a scrap with anyone!"

"That's a good boy," said Angel, her anger waning as she released the old poacher's throat, "Now, where are my parents?"

"I think you'll be happy to know they are doing very well," said Earl, trying to regain his composure, "Wayne and I sold them to a very wealthy businessman in Alakaz. Now…what was his name?"

"John Allens," said Wayne from under his covers, "He took an immediate liking to them and insisted we sell him that young mated pair of Gardevoirs."

"John Allens?" said Ramirez with relief, "Angel, this means your parents are safe and sound after all."

"Of course they're alright!" snapped Earl, "We didn't sell our Gardevoirs to just anyone! Say, remember that creepy, scientist fellow we met a few years back?"

"Dr. Alvin Namwen?" said Wayne.

"Yes, that was him," said Earl, "A most unpleasant man. Why, he was offering quite a sum of money for the locations of every Gardevoir we had captured and sold."

"No way we were going to let him have those Gardevoirs!" said Wayne, "Man, the sight of his eerie eyes and the sound of his raspy voice still give me the creeps!"

"Thank you for answering our questions," said Angel, "We'll be going now. Farewell and pray we never meet again." Without another word, Ramirez and Angel vanished in a bright flash.

"Well, glad that's over with," said Earl with a sigh of relief.

"No kidding! I think those Gardevoirs would have made a real mess of us if we'd refused to answer them!" said Wayne as he poked his head out from under his blue quilt.

"What is going on in there?!" demanded a prison guard as he ran up to Earl and Wayne's cell, "Keep it down in there!"

"Sorry, but we had to deal with this pair of Gardevoirs," explained Earl.

"Yeah! One of them had wings!" said Wayne, "And the other one had very unusual coloring."

"Gardevoirs, huh? Sure," said the guard with impatience, "No Pokémon are allowed in this facility, plus the walls and guards outside make absolutely sure that no one, man or Pokémon, can come and go as they please at this prison. You all know that!"

"But its true!" pleaded Earl, "They came here, demanding that we help the off-colored Gardevoir, Angel, find her long lost parents; otherwise, they might have killed us."

"So, a few Gardevoir angels appeared before you?" asked the guard with staunch disbelief, "Let me guess, they were going to help you break out of prison, right?"

"No," replied Wayne, "They said they'd let us live so long as we answered their questions."

"I've heard enough," said the guard. Earl glanced up at Wayne.

"Great! They think we're crazy!" said Earl with dismay as another guard ran up to the cell.

"Get these men to the padded party room on the double," commanded the first guard, "And get a psychiatrist here in the morning to get these two bozos sorted out."

"I detest that!" grumbled Earl, "We're not stupid."

"And we're also not crazy! You hear me! We're not crazy!" stammered Wayne, laughing uncontrollably.

"You're not helping, Wayne…" muttered Earl angrily.

"So I see, sir," said the second guard, "I'll get right on it!" As the second guard ran off, the first guard smirked at the frazzled Gardevoir poachers.

"Just relax and let us help you," said the guard with a grin, "I bet your Gardevoir angels wouldn't want you to start up even more trouble now, would they?" Earl said nothing and Wayne continued to laugh like a fool as a half dozen more guards came up to the cell: two of them were carrying soft, white straight jackets and the rest had tasers.

**-50-**

The time was 7:23 AM and the sun was now rising over the grand city of Alakaz. Ramirez and Angel were reclining on a bench in the lobby of the fanciest hotel in the city. Ramirez was admiring the marble floor, bronze pillars and crystal chandeliers. Though Ramirez was relaxed and enjoying a brief rest, Angel, on the other hand, was very disappointed.

"You know, Ramirez," said Angel with a grin as she faced the young Guardian, "I almost wish we had gotten to rescue my parents and got the chance to blow up some bad guys."

"Are you kidding?" asked Ramirez with a smile, yawning loudly, "I don't think I'd be able to help you much in a fight without getting some sleep first and very soon at that!" Bobby had met the Guardians of Gardev before, but he had never met Ramirez or even seen an off-color Gardevoir before. He'd sent the word to John Allens half an hour ago that he had some important guests. As John wound his way down a nearby staircase, he soon laid eyes on Ramirez and Angel. The middle-aged mayor smiled as he stepped forward to greet his noble guests.

"A pleasure to meet you, Guardian Ramirez," said John politely as he turned his gaze to Angel, "And you as well, Angel. So, what brings you here to my hotel and so eager to meet me, I might add?" Angel stood up from the bench and walked straight up to John Allens, looking him over. She smiled, reading his thoughts and knowing this man had a great sense of honor.

"A pleasure to meet you, too," said Angel cheerfully, "We came here because we want to check on a pair of Gardevoirs you purchased over ten years ago. Do you still have them?"

"Of course I still have them," said John with a bright smile, "I've had a lovely, off-color, mated pair of Gardevoirs for over twelve years now. They're my best friends: they don't like to go outside much, though. I guess they don't want to draw too much attention to themselves."

"That would explain why Mack and Aura have never met them," thought Ramirez.

"May we please see them?" asked Angel with great excitement.

"Why, sure," said John with a smile and a nod, "I'm sure they would love to meet you both." John led them to a nearby elevator. Before long, they were on their way to the top floor. John chuckled, seeing Ramirez and Angel together.

"Say, have you two been married for long?" asked John. Ramirez laughed and Angel giggled, both of them blushing.

"We're not married yet," said Angel, smiling at the mayor of Alakaz. Ramirez nodded.

"Is there something I should know here?" asked John as the elevator came to a gentle stop. The doors opened with a gentle hiss. As the doors opened, John got a look at his Gardevoirs. They would always greet him when he came home. This time, John's two Gardevoirs gasped and jumped back when they laid eyes on Angel. Angel bravely stepped towards her parents, hoping they would recognize her. The two other Gardevoirs' coloring was an exact match to Angel's: blue eyes, blue fins and black-topped gowns with black underskirts. John glanced back and forth at Angel and his two Gardevoirs.

"Andrew, Karen, do you know her?" asked John gently. The male and female Gardevoirs slowly approached Angel. They may not have seen their daughter in years and the last time they saw her she was a very young Ralts, barely over a month old; however, Andrew and Karen somehow knew, at last, they had been reunited with their long-lost daughter.

"Angel!" shouted Karen with tears of joy streaming down her face as she ran up and tightly embraced her daughter. Andrew followed after his wife, holding his daughter tightly.

"Angel…" said Andrew as he wept with sheer happiness, "I thought I would never see you again…"

"Its okay, Dad," said Angel, as she wrapped her arms around her parents, crying with joy as well, "We're finally together again!" John was stunned.

"So, that is why Andrew and Karen were so distressed when I first bought them," thought John, "I had no idea they had lost a child or even had one for that matter!"

"Just look at you!" said Andrew with immense delight, "My daughter is alive and has grown up as a beautiful Gardevoir!"

"We're so sorry, Angel," said Karen as she held her daughter ever tighter, "I'm sorry we couldn't keep you with us…"

"Its okay, Mom," said Angel tenderly and with a bright smile, "All I care about is that we're together." Andrew laughed warmly and embraced his dear daughter again. He looked up and smiled, seeing Ramirez standing in the elevator. John quickly came to his senses and led Ramirez out of the elevator before the doors closed again.

"So, who is this fine fellow?" asked Andrew with great happiness, "Is he your mate?"

"Oh, certainly not!" laughed Angel.

"My name is Ramirez," said Ramirez as she spread his wings and proudly held out his emerald pendant, "I'm a Guardian of Gardev." Andrew smiled and nodded his head with understanding.

"So, was it you who helped our daughter find us?" asked Karen. Ramirez nodded his head, smiling happily.

"What I meant to say is…" said Angel, smiling as her eyes fell on Ramirez, "We're not married yet."

"Indeed," said Ramirez, "Andrew, I wanted to ask you if I may please have your permission to marry your lovely daughter."

"You have some nerve," chuckled Andrew as he let go of his daughter and approached the nervous male Gardevoir, "You've only just met me and now you're asking if you can marry my daughter, just like that, eh?"

"Angel?" asked Karen tenderly, "Do you want to be his mate?" Angel closed her eyes, blushing deeply as she nodded her head.

"I don't plan on having the wedding for at least another year and a half," explained Ramirez. Andrew glanced at his daughter and let out a blissful sigh.

"I appreciate that," said Andrew, "Maybe now Karen and I can finally get to know our daughter." Andrew stepped towards Ramirez and looked him in the eye.

"Angel, you sure this is what you want?" asked Andrew sternly. Angel smiled and nodded her head excitedly. Andrew smiled.

"Ramirez, you have my permission to marry Angel," declared Andrew with delight, "And my blessing." Angel erupted with loud cheering as she embraced her mother.

"My daughter is going to have a mate!" said Karen with blissful laughter. Angel was ecstatic and Ramirez, relieved.

"Thank you very much, Andrew," said Ramirez happily.

"I know you'll take good care of her," said a delighted Andrew, "I would expect nothing less from a Guardian of Gardev." Angel turned her gaze towards John.

"John, would it be alright with you if I stayed here for a few months?" asked Angel cheerfully, "There is so much I want to talk with them about."

"I would be glad to have you stay," said John with a nod, "It's not a problem at all. I can imagine you all have much to catch up on and discuss." Angel laughed as she returned her gaze to her mother and father.

"Like how I became the best Gardevoir seamstress in the entire Gardevoir city!" said Angel, "And how a wonderful Gallade and his wife took me in as their own daughter."

"I'm going to have to meet them," said a happy Andrew, "I'm so glad you made it to the Gardevoir city after all."

"Me, too!" said Karen with delight, "I would love to thank the loving Gallade and Gardevoir for taking such good care of you."

"I'd like to know more about your sewing," said Andrew.

"Well, I did make the wedding dresses for the Guardians of Gardev," said Angel with a grin.

"You're the one who made those wedding dresses?!" exclaimed Andrew and Karen in unison.

"I remember seeing the Guardians in their wedding splendor at the Alakaz Open Tournament a few years ago. They were dressed fantastically, to say the least," remarked Andrew.

"I'm so proud of you!" said a happy Karen with joy.

"And," said Angel as she stared at Ramirez, "As a seamstress, I get the pleasure and the honor of making a pair of wedding dresses: one for me and one for my mate-to-be." Ramirez blushed and laughed nervously.

"Take your time with those," said Ramirez, "The wedding isn't for quite some time, anyway."

"I hope we'll get to be there on that day," said Andrew.

"Of course you and Karen will get to witness your daughter's wedding," said John, "I would never miss any of my children's' weddings, you can bet on that." Ramirez glanced out one of the large windows of the hotel's penthouse office. The sun was beginning to rise and he figured he had better get back to Gardev soon, just in case Mack and Aura needed his help.

"Angel, Andrew, Karen and John," said Ramirez, "I hate to leave so soon, but I should get back to Gardev. I have to fulfill my duties as a Guardian of Gardev."

"You sure you can't stay awhile?" asked Andrew. Ramirez nodded.

"Boulderdash!" exclaimed John, "I'll give Warren a call at once. Ramirez, I think Angel's parents have a right to get to know the Gardevoir who's going to marry their daughter."

"If Glacian and Warren say so, then I'll be happy to stay," said Ramirez, "But I can't linger here for long, nonetheless."

"Very well," said John. Andrew smiled at Ramirez.

"So, you're going to be my son in law, eh?" said Andrew, "I couldn't imagine anyone being better for my daughter than you."

"If you don't mind me asking, Ramirez, why is the wedding so far off?" asked a curious Karen.

"That's because my youngest sister is getting married next summer," replied Ramirez, "The Guardians of Gardev and the rest of the royal family tend to get married on the same day each year. I just want to continue the tradition and, that way, we'll have plenty of time to plan the wedding."

"Sounds good to me," said Karen happily, "How about you, dear?"

"I agree, my love," said Andrew.

"Speaking of which," said John, "Andrew, Karen: if you so wish, I would love to have you both released back into the wild and…"

"No!" shouted Andrew forcefully, "We're your friends and your protectors. We will not leave your side as long as you live."

"As you wish" said John, deep in thought, "Then I'd better work my will so you two will be free when I pass away. As off-color Gardevoirs, the rest of my family might fight over both of you after my death; maybe even have you two separated."

"You'd love it in the Gardevoir city," said Angel with glee.

"Still, we feel it is best for Karen and I to stay here," said Andrew. Karen nodded her head in agreement. Ramirez smiled at Angel: she giggled and smiled back at her handsome, winged Gardevoir. Ramirez knew his wedding day would be one he would always remember and he could only imagine the lavish wedding dresses his bride-to-be was already planning.


	11. Section 11

The Village Guardians

**-51-**

K-1 may have now had all the clues imaginable to finally break the ancient, Pokémon code, but so far, none of his translations made any real sense.

"It's almost like Pokémon only spoke pure, utter, total, absolute, and complete one hundred percent gibberish," thought an thoroughly annoyed K-1, "I must be missing something important here, but what? What could possibly could I have missed?" K-1 heard a soft thud as Anna carefully placed another stack of stone tablets at his feet. For the last few weeks, all K-1 had done was stand in place, memorize the transcripts, attempt to find some sort of order to this chaos and watch Anna bring in and then take away one stack of four tablets at a time. The only changes in this entire, mundane procession were that Anna would take breaks only for meals, rest, an occasional conversation and other such things. As well as the fact that Anna could now manage five stone tablets at a time.

"I'd say you've gotten stronger, Anna," remarked K-1 as he put every spare bit of his processors' power towards decoding the unknown language.

"The tablets do seem to be getting lighter," said Anna happily, "I think I'll try carrying six at a time tomorrow."

"Don't take on more than you can manage," cautioned K-1.

"It's not a problem," said Anna as she leaned back, stretching her back and unfurling her mighty wings, "I'm just looking forward to when Simon will actually begin my training. I don't quite understand why he's having me do this task anyway."

"Many teachers often have their students do nothing but mundane and menial tasks to test their pupil's patience," said K-1, "In your case, I think Simon is also trying to increase the capacity of your physical strength."

"You're right, K-1," said Anna as she leaned over K-1's right shoulder, "So, how are things going on your end of this?"

"Not too good, I'm afraid," answered K-1, "I don't know what it is, but I feel like I'm over looking something important here, but I can't quite put my finger on it."

"Maybe I can help?" suggested Anna cheerfully, "I could use a brief break from this tough labor."

"I doubt you can assist, but you're more than welcome to try," said K-1. Anna took a good, long look at the large, dark granite tablet on the floor in front of K-1.

"Say, isn't Chinese a right to left language?" asked Anna.

"You are correct," answered K-1, "Just like Japanese, and Hebrew, Chinese is read from the right to the left, the direct opposite of English and most other languages."

"So, you're also trying to read the dead Pokémon language right to left as well?" queried a curious Anna.

"Of course," replied K-1, "Surely they are read the same way."

"But you still can't make any sense of it, can you?" said Anna. K-1 let out a heavy sigh and nodded his head.

"You are correct again, Anna," replied K-1 with despair. Anna stared at the lone stone tablet for a few more minutes.

"Maybe it's just a crazy idea, but why don't you try reading the Pokémon dialect in the opposite direction," suggested Anna.

"I doubt it will work, but I've just about run out of options," muttered K-1, "I'll try it."

"Okay, K-1," said Anna with a smile as she walked toward another small stack of tablets, took five of the heavy artifacts up in her arms and carefully carried them out of the archival room, back to their home at the other end of the massive palace. K-1 let out a heavy sigh and reconfigured his decoding programs in a split second. He started matching up the symbols from opposite ends of the tablet before him, just out of morbid curiosity. K-1 almost dropped to the floor when the decoding systems gave him the first meaningful answer. He thought back to the first tablet that he had read.

"So…" thought an astonished K-1, "GHJKWBANMP OUIUGS JKAHGAHUFHJ KHGFGHJKL TYUIJHGFGHNM, becomes 'In the beginning, God created the earth and the heavens…' I'll be darned!" K-1 started decoding the tablets he had analyzed over the last few weeks.

"Looks like someone in this city managed to carve out the entire Old Testament in stone and in both Chinese and the ancient language! I've already decoded the books of Genesis through 2nd Chronicles, give or take a few anomalies. Looks like the writer of these tablets made up his own symbols for Jewish names and places," thought K-1 with amazement as he turned on his built-in, long range radio, "Central, do you copy? This is K-1."

"I hear you loud and clear K-1," said Central cheerfully, "How can I assist you?"

"I'm sending you the data I've analyzed. I would like you to prepare a translation patch for my programming. That should make it easier for me to read this language," asked K-1.

"At once, K-1," said Central.

"Splendid! Beginning the upload now," said K-1. The cat-like robot stood still as he transmitted the complex data in coded signals back to the immense super computer. A few seconds later, K-1 got exactly what he was looking for.

"Translation program patch completed, beginning transmission," declared Central. A few moments later, K-1's intricate software was updated. He took a glance at a random stone tablet in the room and instantly understood it.

"You shall have no other Gods before me," said K-1 with sheer delight, "Thank you Lord, indeed!" K-1 ran out of the ancient archival room and took a look at the message that had been engraved to the right of the vault-like door of the room.

"Only the living metal cat with bright blue eyes can see the path ahead," said K-1 to himself as he read the message, "Of course…the prototype X-ray scanner was the only thing I had powerful enough to be able to see the mechanisms for the vault lock. Even the visor on the S-100I armor would not have been powerful enough to peer through the door," K-1 then glanced at the message on the heavy door itself.

"'Much of what lies ahead is for the eyes of the winged ones and their closest friends only,'" said K-1 to himself, "'God be with you on your journey. The evil of the Black Pendant must be stopped. I fear for the future of this world if the deep, black malevolent force of that opal and gold artifact is not conquered. May what you find here lead to the day when the Guardian family finally regains its strength.' It all makes sense now." K-1 ran out of the archives at full speed and a few minutes later, was standing before the monolith at the entrance of the grand Gardevoir palace.

"The markings on this sign say 'Olympus,'" thought K-1, "Ah! That must be the name of this city! Glacian is going to have a heart attack when I tell him what I've discovered!" K-1 thought back to just a few minutes ago.

"Scratch that," thought K-1, "Glacian and Gloria will be thrilled when they learn what Anna, Central and I have dug up. Now, the king and queen of Olympus will be able to read the language of their own city." K-1 fired up his jet boots and went sailing through the palace, back to the archives. There, in the ancient room, he found Anna, waiting for him with another stack of five more stone tablets.

"So, did you find something?" asked Anna.

"Not much," said K-1 as a grin spread across his shiny, silvery, metal face, "I now know how to read the unknown language."

"Really?! How did you figure it out?" asked Anna eagerly.

"You had the answer!" laughed K-1, "I was translating the language backwards AND upside down! No wonder I couldn't make any sense of it!"

"I guess that means I don't have to haul these stupid tablets around anymore!" exclaimed Anna with glee, "Simon said he would train me when I'd completed this task!"

"I hate to spoil your fun and all," said K-1, "But I'll need you to bring me the tablets until I've read every last one of them. I have to make sure there are no holes in my translation programs, otherwise, I may not be able to properly translate the tablets and tomes in this immense room."

"Well, if I have to," said Anna as she shrugged her shoulders, "I'll go get the next batch." Anna slowly left the room as K-1 waited patiently for the next round of Bible reading. Before Anna arrived, Glacian and Gloria entered the ancient archive in their white, sparkling splendor.

"Good afternoon, K-1," said Glacian, smiling at the steadfast robot, "Gloria and I wanted to ask if you've made any progress in decoding that old language? We simply have to uncover the secrets buried in this city's oldest archives."

"You mean the Olympus archives," said K-1 with a grin. Glacian glanced at his wife: both of them puzzled at K-1's statement.

"How do you know the name of the city?" asked Gloria in her gentle voice, "And how do you the city is actually called Olympus?" K-1 just smiled as he politely bowed towards the confused king and queen.

"All hail Glacian and Gloria!" declared K-1 with a loud shout, "King and Queen of Olympus!"

"You haven't answered my wife's question, K-1…" said a bewildered Glacian, "Now, please answer her."

"I'll just be blunt," said K-1 with immense joy, "Anna helped me find the missing link to the old language. That white, marble monolith just outside the front gates of this palace says 'Olympus' as well as other signs, carved into the sides of many of the buildings in this immense city."

"So, you know how to read the language then?" asked Glacian with disbelief, "I…I don't know what to say."

"How about, 'Thank you, K-1,'" asked Gloria with a smile. Glacian laughed out loud.

"You're right, as usual, my dear," said Glacian as he continued to erupt with warm laughter, "Thank you so much, K-1! I suppose that you're ready to begin translating the tablets and tomes in this archive, then?"

"I'm afraid that I'm not quite sure," answered K-1, "I think I should analyze the rest of the tablets before I make any conclusions. There may yet be some holes in my translation programs." Glacian nodded his head with understanding.

"Very well, K-1," said Glacian, "I'll be awaiting the results of your studies here."

"As will I," said a delighted Gloria, "Thank you, K-1."

"My pleasure," said K-1 as Glacian and Gloria walked out of the room. K-1 watched Glacian's ornate cape drag softly across the floor as the old Gardevoir left the room. K-1 took a look at the large piles of stone tablets and the monstrous shelves, lined with tomes.

"Well, it should only take me a few months or so to sort out all of this," thought K-1 just as Anna entered the room, carrying the next set of the granite tablets in her arms.

**-52-**

The next few months passed uneventfully and soon, winter was upon the Gardev region. As snow was blanketing the craggy peaks of the Gardev Mountains, Angel was walking down the streets of Olympus. She and the other residents had learned only recently the true name of their grand city.

"Certainly a fitting name for a mythical place, nestled on the top of the largest mountain in the entire region," thought Angel. No one knew why, but no matter what time of year it was, the temperature always hung around a comfortable 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Angel's thoughts returned to the sewing shop she worked at. As she walked nonchalantly through the front door, the other Gardevoir seamstresses gasped. Not only had Angel returned from her sudden disappearance, but for all of them, this was the first time they had ever seen Angel smile.

"Angel! You're back!" said one of the young, female Gardevoirs with relief and joy, "We thought we'd never see you again!"

"We thought you'd left Olympus for good," said another Gardevoir with a smile, "It's so nice to see you back and so happy, too!"

"I'm glad to be back, too," said Angel happily, "I can even say I'm glad to even see all of you."

"So," asked the first Gardevoir, "Where have you been?"

"Just out and about," replied Angel with a wink, "I'll tell you all about it later. I have to get to work on a special project."

"Oh, speaking of special projects, I have a letter from Guardian Aura," said the second Gardevoir as she handed a sealed envelope to Angel, "Glacian brought this here earlier this morning saying it was only for your eyes." Angel eagerly tore open the envelope. She laughed and smiled as she read Aura's letter.

"So, that's what she wants, huh?" asked Angel to herself, "I'll be happy to do just that."

"What does the Guardian princess want?" asked another Gardevoir with immense curiosity.

"I'm afraid I can't say," said Angel, "Aura says very clearly that no one must know what I'm going to be working on. Aura wants me to start work the day after Valentine's Day."

"I wonder what she could want?" asked yet another Gardevoir.

"You'll get to see before long," said Angel as she started back to her private office in the large shop, filled with piles upon piles of white Gardevoir satin and thousands of spools of white thread on shelves lining the walls. Dozens of large tables, each with scissors, needles, sewing machines and other tools were arranged in a neat pattern on the large, smooth, white marble floor. Boxes of small, polished gemstones shared the shelves with the seemingly endless supply of white thread and string. As the head seamstress, Angel got to have her own private area of the shop to dream up new styles and designs for the lavish wedding dresses Gardevoirs, Gallades and the occasional Kirlia couple would get wear on their wedding day and on special holidays as well.

"Can't you please tell just us, your friends?" asked the first Gardevoir politely.

"Friends…" said Angel with delight, "I like the sound of that. Anyway, you will all get to see what I'm up to in mid summer: the very height of the Gardevoir wedding season."

**-53-**

"There!" declared Anna with triumph as she placed the last bunch of eight stone tablets back on it's stack, back in the hidden storeroom Simon and Gremlin had discovered. Day in day out, for the last five weeks, Anna had done nothing but bring stacks of the heavy tablets to K-1 and then put them back in the storeroom. Hour after hour, day after day, that was all she did. Anna looked down at her hands and smiled. When she first started this mundane task, she could only manage five of the 4 by 6 foot, two inch-thick tablets. During the last few days, Anna found she could now manage eight of the huge, carved slabs of granite at once. As Anna clapped her hands together a few times, getting dust off of them, K-1 was teaching the old language to Glacian and Gloria, the king and queen of Olympus. The two heavy adorned Gardevoirs were sitting comfortably on their thrones as K-1 used his holographic projector to help the monarchs learn the dead dialect as quickly as possible. Needless to say, with Gardevoirs being immensely intelligent, Glacian and Gloria were learning very quickly.

"Wow! You keep things up at this pace and you'll know how to read the entire language in just a few more days," remarked K-1 with amazement. Glacian and Gloria had spent the last week in the throne room every moment they could. Fortunately, nothing had arisen that their advisors could not resolve on their own.

"You're a very good teacher, K-1," said Glacian, "And I really appreciate you spending your time teaching Gloria and I."

"Think nothing of it, your highness;" said a happy K-1, "I haven't had such devoted students in centuries. Besides, I think the king and queen should be some of the first to learn how to read the old language of their city."

"Speaking of which, what do you intend to do after teaching Glacian and I how to read that old dialect. I hope you'll consider teaching in the schools of Olympus," said Gloria.

"Actually, I was going to start gleaning through the ancient archives," said K-1, "But I could help teach the residents of Olympus the language as well."

"Now that I think about it," said Glacian as he leaned back in his silver and gold throne, "I think we should give a name to this language. Obviously, its true name has been lost long ago. I feel we should give it a name: Something simple and easy to remember." Gloria nodded her head in agreement with her mate.

"I think you're right, my dear," said Gloria, the smiling queen, "But what should we call it?"

"Well, Pokese, Gardese, Oldese and Unknownese are all registering as bad choices in my data banks," said K-1 as Glacian and Gloria erupted with laughter.

"I'm inclined to agree with you!" laughed Glacian.

"So, what should we call it?" asked Gloria as she soon stopped laughing, "Maybe…Ancient Olympus or Old Olympus?"

"I was going to say that Guardian might be a good choice, too," suggested Glacian.

"I have to agree with the queen," said K-1, "Old Olympus sounds like an excellent choice to me." Glacian smiled.

"I like the idea too," said Glacian as he stood up, "Then let it be known that the ancient language, which remained unknown for generations, shall now be known as Old Olympus by order of the king and queen of Olympus." A Gardevoir scribe, sitting in a chair on Glacian's right quickly wrote down the new edict in a thick book with a fancy, black and gold fountain pen.

"I trust you've been learning Old Olympus with us, haven't you, Artos?" asked Gloria with a smile. The young, Gardevoir scribe smiled and nodded his head.

"But of course, my queen," replied Artos politely, "I'll see to it that the officers and Elite Guards spread the word."

"Thank you, Artos," said Glacian cheerfully, "As my chief scribe; I would expect nothing less but the best from you."

"Your highness is most generous," said Artos with a smile.

"Now then, K-1," said Glacian as he sat back down in his throne, "Please continue the lesson."

"Most certainly," said K-1. Meanwhile, on the other side of the palace, Anna closed a wooden door, which had been placed on the storeroom and the wall repaired not long after Simon had demolished his way into the hidden room. Simon came up to Anna and smiled at his young apprentice.

"You have done well, Anna," said Simon happily, "You have completed your task. K-1 also tells me you did all that work with any complaints as well. I am very pleased and most impressed with you, Anna."

"Thank you, sensei," said Anna with a polite bow towards her instructor. Simon nodded appreciatively.

"Now, since you have demonstrated such patience, determination and great endurance, I will now give you the training you desire," declared Simon, "I shall teach you how to control your temper and so much more."

"Where shall we begin?" asked Anna eagerly.

"For now, I want you to clean up, get a nice meal and get some rest," said Simon, "Meet me in the Elite Guard training area tomorrow morning by 8 o'clock. I'll see to it that Wallace and the other guards let you through."

"Thank you, sensei," said Anna with a sigh of relief.

"I have more good news," said Simon, "There will be no more hard labor for you."

"Yes!" said Anna with great joy.

"However, I know just the thing that will teach you even more patience, which should be a key to overcoming your temper," said Simon, "I've already spoken to Glacian and Gloria: they have agreed that you shall be a servant in the palace for the next two months. After all, what better way to learn patience and respect than by serving others?"

"You mean…I will do nothing but clean up and help out around this palace?" asked Anna with some dread. Simon nodded.

"This is me being nice to you," said Simon, "Just keep at it. Glacian will explain your duties to you in the morning, so head straight to the throne room after breakfast. Now, go and enjoy the rest of the day," said Simon. Anna smiled and bowed politely towards her teacher once again and without another word ran down the hallway. Simon smiled as Anna sprinted down the long, marble corridor with surprising speed.

"Looks like her speed has gone up considerably as well," thought Simon, "This is very good, for I want to teach her far more than just how to control that short fuse of hers and she may very well be capable of more than she and I realize." Meanwhile, back in Gardev, Sakura and her mate, Fredrick had decided to pay a visit to Jake, Makoto and their young daughter, also named Sakura. Alexander and Aurora were also visiting Jake and his family. As Fredrick visited with the young Gardevoir's surrogate parents, Sakura was climbing up into the attic. The happy Gardevoir soon set foot in the attic. Her first stop was the exact spot where Simon, once he had transformed into a Gardevoir, had left his gown and pants behind after being forced to don a wedding dress and jewelry. The soft, white garments had obviously vanished, probably at the same moment when Simon had turned back into his normal, Kabutops self. Sakura had one more thing in mind, the frilly pink dress that Anna had originally destined for Simon's day of undercover humiliation. After opening up a few, large cardboard boxes, she found it. Sakura giggled as she pulled the soft, fluffy dress out of its box.

"I wonder how long this has been here," thought Sakura as she carried it downstairs with a big smile on her face. Alexander and Aurora were stunned when they saw Sakura come downstairs with the big, fluffy, pink dress in her arms.

"Oh, my!" said a shock Alexander.

"Where on earth did you find that?" asked Aurora happily, "I've been trying to find that dress for years!"

"I found it up in the attic," said Sakura, "Rather, Anna found it a few months ago while rummaging through several of those large, cardboard boxes."

"Can I hold it?" asked a cheerful Aurora. Sakura nodded as she stepped forward and carefully handed the pile of pink fluff to her eager mother-in-law. Alexander took a close look at the dress as well.

"I remember this," said a smiling Alexander, "You used to wear this every night when we would dance in the mansion ballroom."

"With the exception of those days when we got to wear our wedding attire in celebration," said Aurora blissfully.

"Ah, those were the days," said Alexander with delight.

"I think I remember how that dress got in the attic," said Makoto, "I put it up there, deep in the attic the day that you, Alexander and Aurora, were thought to have been lost."

"That explains why Aurora and I couldn't find this dress anywhere in the mansion," said a smiling Alexander, "Thank you, Jake and Makoto for taking such good care of it."

"Our pleasure," said Jake happily.

"I was wondering," said Aurora as she tenderly ran her fingers over the soft skirt of the dress, "Who should we give this to?"

"You don't want to keep it?" asked Alexander, "Even after all the wonderful times we had together with it?"

"No," replied Aurora with a gentle voice, "I want this to be a present. I know just who to give this to and when."

"If that's how you feel," said Alexander with nod, "Its okay with me. So, who do you want to give it to, my love?" Aurora leaned over and whispered into her mate's ear. Alexander smiled and laughed.

"That's a fabulous idea," said Alexander.

"I'll just put this away for now," said Aurora with joy as she left the room and made her way up to the attic.

"So," said Jake, "Who does she want to give that dress to and on what day?"

"Aurora wants it to be a surprise," was Alexander's reply.


	12. Section 12

The Village Guardians

**-54-**

All was very peaceful in the town of Gardev: just the way Mack liked it. He yawned as he slowly sat up in bed, wearing his soft, shimmering wedding dress. He smiled as he gently rubbed the sparkling, smooth satin on the puffed sleeve that covered Aura's left shoulder. She smiled as she awoke from a deep, blissful sleep from her mate's gentle touch.

"Time to wake up, my princess," said Mack sweetly as Aura sat up in bed, getting another good look at her handsome husband. Aura giggled with delight: yesterday was Valentine's Day. The winter had passed by uneventfully and the colors of spring would soon replace the white snow outside. Aura sighed blissfully.

"That champagne before bed sure hit the spot," said Aura with a bright smile as she straightened her diamond tiara, staring at her mate, "Mack…I love you…" Mack let out a blissful sigh.

"I love you too, Aura," said Mack tenderly. Aura giggled as she spread her wings, stretching them out.

"We'll have to give Paul a thank you card for that fine drink," said Mack, "It wasn't as good as that Gardev wine, but it was still the best champagne I've had in years." Aura smiled and blushed at Mack, thinking she would never need a card or a piece of decorative paper with poetry to know just how much Mack loved and cherished her.

"Well, time to get up and get dressed my prince," said Aura as she playfully nudged Mack's left shoulder. Mack nodded his head and slowly crawled out of bed. As he stood up and stretched out his arms, back and wings, Aura picked up the extra gowns and pants the lovers had left on the floor from the previous morning from the floor. Aura then threw the gowns and pants from across the bedroom and right into a laundry basket at the far end of the bathroom. Mack laughed as he picked his and Aura's white slippers off the soft carpet of the bedroom floor.

"Right on target, as usual, my love," remarked Mack as he placed the white slippers into their appropriate closets. Aura smiled as she walked up to her mate and then offered the back of her gorgeous wedding dress to him.

"Will you help me with my dress?" asked Aura sweetly. Mack reached out with both hands and tenderly removed Aura's tiara and flowing lace veil from her hair. Then, Mack slowly unzipped his wife's dress. Aura blushed and giggled.

"There," said Mack as he turned around, "Now, will you help me with my dress?"

"Only if you answer one question first," said Aura, teasing her mate. Mack chuckled.

"Okay, what do you want to ask of me?" asked Mack with a smile.

"Do you like getting to wear your pretty wedding dress now?" asked Aura with a bright smile as she turned around and walked towards her mate's back.

"It's taken some getting used to," replied Mack, "But yes. I think I can say I like it now."

"Good answer," said Aura as she tenderly and slowly unzipped her mate's shimmering wedding dress, "Otherwise, I would have made you wear your beautiful dress for the rest of the day."

"I see. Thank you, my merciful darling," laughed Mack, "Now, do you want to get dressed in the bathroom this time?"

"Yes," said Aura, "That would be nice."

"Very well," said Mack as Aura moved to her dresser, opened each of the three drawers to get a fresh gown, pants and underwear. As Aura walked into the bathroom, closed and locked the door, Mack let his soft, fluffy dress fall to the floor. In a matter of moments, the male Guardian was back in his flowing gown, pants and briefs. He was hanging up his dress and cape as Aura walked into the bathroom, dressed, with her wedding dress in her arms and her jewelry floating right behind her. Mack watched as the tiara, bracelets, anklets and earrings floated back into their drawers on Aura's vanity. The drawers opened and closed themselves as Aura cheerfully hung up her wedding dress.

"I wonder what Agatha has prepared for breakfast today?" asked Mack as he opened the blinds on the windows and on the nearby sliding glass door. Aura giggled as she closed the closet.

"Would you mind having breakfast on your own this time?" asked Aura. Mack glanced at his wife, puzzled.

"Is something wrong?" asked Mack with concern, "Are you not feeling well this morning, my love?" Aura smiled.

"I feel fine, but I have to get to Olympus as soon as I can this morning," said Aura.

"How about I come with you?" asked Mack cheerfully, "I would love to fly there with you and get out of the village for awhile: just you and me."

"I would just like to go there on my own," said Aura, "May I please go to Olympus on my own?"

"I don't know…" said Mack with hesitation.

"I'll be back well in time for breakfast in about an hour," said Aura. Mack smiled and nodded.

"As you wish, Aura, just as long as you're back in time for breakfast," said Mack, "Agatha was saying today's first meal would be one we would not want to miss."

"Thank you, honey," said Aura as she walked up to and kissed Mack on his cheek, "I'll be back before long."

"Okay. I'll see you at the table," said Mack as he embraced Aura and then left the bedroom. As usual, William was waiting for the Guardians just outside the bedroom door. Aura watched closely as her mate and the Pikachu walked down the long hallway and to a stairwell at the end of the corridor. Aura slowly closed the bedroom door, walked swiftly to the closets and hastily opened the sliding doors, revealing her and Mack's glamorous, white wedding dresses. She smiled as she pulled each fluffy dress off its hanger and held them draped over her arms. She knew she didn't have much time and hoped Mack would not look into the closets again until their wedding anniversary, the next day which Gardevoirs traditionally dawn their wedding attire in celebration. She closed the closets and walked to the patio door, leading to the balcony of Mack and Aura's room. The balcony had a great view of both Mt. Terror and Mt. Ivory. She giggled with anticipation as she opened the sliding glass door, walked onto the balcony, spread her wings and quickly took to the skies. She used her powers of telekinesis to close the door behind her. Now, Aura was on her way to Olympus where Angel would be waiting for her. Aura looked down at the ground below then looked back at the village of Gardev. Mack was not following her: this, to say the least, was perfect. It only took Aura about ten minutes to reach Olympus on a good day by flight. Today, she managed to shave one whole minute off her best time. Angel was waiting for Aura as she walked into the sewing shop.

"Good morning, Aura," said Angel with a grin, "Is the prince unaware?" Angel giggled and nodded her head.

"Hopefully, he won't take another look in those closets until our anniversary," said Aura with excitement. Angel laughed warmly as she led Aura to her office at the back of the immense shop. The other seamstresses were puzzled to see the female Guardian of Gardev carrying her wedding attire through the shop.

"Have we ever had any returns?" asked one Gardevoir. Another Gardevoir shrugged her shoulders as Aura and Angel walked into the back office, closed and locked the door tightly.

"Glad you could make it," said Angel with a smile.

"I still don't have much time," said Aura, "Mack's expecting me back in Gardev in little more than half an hour."

"Well, I think you should take a look at some of the designs I've drawn up," said Angel as she handed Aura a two-inch thick stack of drafting paper, "Now, you want me to improve and use the original dresses, right?"

"Yes," was Aura's reply as she started looking at Angel's sketches. Angel nodded her head.

"I can understand why," said Angel happily, "There are a lot of sentimental reasons. Anyway, Glacian and Gloria told me to spare nothing in the creation of yours and Mack's new wedding dresses. The King and Queen also said I should use the same design for Ramirez's and mine as well with just a few minor differences." Aura eagerly gazed at Angel's detailed drawings. It didn't take much time before Aura decided which of Angel's stunning dress designs to use.

"I want these ones!" said Aura with a bright smile.

"That's just what I figured you would want," said Angel, smiling with glee, "Sure enough; a Guardian of Gardev chooses the most extravagant design. That means I'll be using the same designs for Ramirez and my own wedding dresses!"

"Are you going to use the same design for Enrique and Anna?" asked Aura.

"No," replied Angel sternly, but with a smile, "Glacian said whatever design you picked would only be used for the Guardians of Gardev and their mates. That means only you, Mack, Ramirez and I will get to wear dresses like these. You have good taste, Aura." Aura giggled with delight.

"So, do you have something special planned for my sister and her mate-to-be?" asked Aura.

"Of course I do," answered Angel, "Now, Anna is the one who likes the color pink a lot, right?" Aura nodded.

"You think you could make a pink dress for her?" asked Aura.

"You ask a lot of questions," said Angel, smiling at the young Guardian, "No. The tradition demands white dresses only, but I do have a few tricks up my sleeve." Aura tenderly set her and Mack's wedding dresses on a nearby table.

"I'd better get going now," said Aura with delight, "Thank you very much, Angel!"

"My pleasure," said Angel as she cracked her knuckles, "Thanks to you, I'm really going to get to put my talents to the test. By the way, how do you want the bodice to close on these dresses?" Aura thought carefully for a few minutes. She smiled as an idea soon entered her mind.

"Can you do white laces with golden loops?" asked Aura with hope. Angel laughed and nodded her head.

"Of course I can!" laughed Angel, "So you want laces, huh? Very old fashioned, but they are quite cute."

"I want laces on Mack's dress too," said Aura.

"Are you sure?" asked Angel, "Male Gardevoirs and Gallades never have laces on their wedding dress. That kind of thing has always been just for brides."

"I know," said Aura with a wink, "But who says we can't start another tradition?" Angel smirked.

"I do like the idea," said Angel, "Very well. I'll get to work on these right away. You and Mack won't even recognize your wedding dresses once I get through with them."

"Thank you very much, Angel," said Aura with a polite bow, "As soon as you're finished, will you please bring the dresses by during the night? I don't want Mack to know about them until our next anniversary."

"I'll be glad to," replied Angel with a friendly tone of voice, "Now, you better get going, Aura, especially if your mate is expecting you."

"Yeah! I'd better leave!" said Aura with excitement as she started to leave Angel's office, "You have a nice day!"

"You too, Aura," said Angel as Aura swiftly closed the office door. Angel picked up the drawing of Aura's choice and smiled. She was going to really relish the next few months.

**-55-**

To say the least, Anna was very nervous. The sun had risen just half an hour ago and, after a hasty breakfast, the young Gardevoir was on her way to the throne room of the massive palace. A pair of Gallades greeted Anna as she stopped at the large, thick and heavy stone doors of the throne room.

"The king and queen have been expecting you, Anna," said Vladimir calmly.

"You may proceed," said Arthur politely as he as his cohort slowly slid open the huge doors, almost making the task seem effortless. Anna walked into the throne room as the Gallades closed the main doors behind her. Sure enough, about fifty yards away, sat Glacian and Gloria in their golden thrones and donning their splendorous wedding attire and golden, jewel-encrusted crowns. As Anna boldly approached the Gardevoir monarchs, they stood up from their thrones.

"Welcome, my dear great-great granddaughter," said Glacian with a smile, "It's nice to see you."

"Same here," said a smirking Gloria, "Simon spoke with us yesterday morning. Glacian and I know just what to do with you."

"Anna, are you ready for your next challenge?" asked Glacian firmly. Anna nodded her head in reply, but with hesitation.

"Very good," said Gloria cheerfully as she faced her heavily adorned husband, "Glacian, dear, would you like to tell her?" Glacian smiled and nodded at his queen.

"Anna, from this day forward and for the remainder of the next two months, you shall be a servant in the palace," declared Glacian, "However, you certainly do not need to be afraid."

"Simon wanted us to go easy on you," said Gloria happily.

"Anna, your first task is this: you are now the queen's attendant," said Glacian, "This is a very simple job as your duty is to help my lovely wife into her wedding dress and jewelry every morning before breakfast. With the exception of mine and Gloria's upcoming birthdays, you will also help Gloria out of her wedding attire before bed."

"That's it?" asked Anna with delight and relief, "I would love to be your attendant, Gloria!"

"I'm glad to hear that," said a cheerful Gloria, "However, that is only your first task. As my attendant, you have the additional duty of the painstaking washing of mine and Glacian's wedding attire, jewelry and crowns. This is done every Saturday night and can take hours to complete. Of course, there are far more duties for you to attend to."

"Indeed, my love," said Glacian as he fixed his gaze on Anna, "You will also be charged with odd jobs throughout the palace. This is nothing beyond your skill. For the most part, you will simply help the other maids and servants clean the rooms and corridors of the palace."

"You will assist the chefs in the kitchen as well," explained Gloria, "Be it doing dishes or helping with the cooking."

"I can do that," said Anna with confidence, "Thank you."

"We are not finished," cautioned Glacian, "From dawn until dusk, what Gloria and I have explained is what you will do everyday."

"There is one last task we must mention," said Gloria with a grin. Anna wasn't sure why, but the queen looked quite sinister and scary whenever she had a mischievous grin on her face.

"Indeed," said Glacian deviously as he narrowed his eyes at Anna, "You must also…" Anna gulped, wondering what the now-frightful Gardevoir rulers had sentenced her to. A few moments later, Glacian and Gloria's fiendish grins were quickly replaced with friendly smiles.

"…Dine with us at every meal," said Glacian, "That will be your reward for a job well done."

"We know you'll do your best, Anna," said Gloria, "Now, your first task of the day is to report to the chefs in the kitchen. They'll need help with dishes and trust me; there are a lot of china and silverware to attend to."

"Indeed," said Glacian, "After all, there are only about five hundred Gardevoirs and Kirlias who tend to the palace and the gardens outside. Then there are the elite guards…"

"I see," said Anna, "I'll get right to work."

"Most excellent, my dear," said Glacian, "Now then, it's time you took leave of us until lunch. After the dishes are done, the executive chef will give you your next task."

"Okay!" said Anna with great relief as she dashed out of the throne room, only stopping as the Gallades opened and closed the heavy doors to let her through. The Gardevoir king and queen sat back down on their golden thrones, awaiting the arrival of their next guests. Gloria faced Glacian.

"I think she'll do just fine," said a smiling Gloria. Glacian chuckled warmly and nodded.

"She's going to put everything she has into the next few months," said Glacian, "She really wants to learn from Simon. In fact, that old Kabutops may have more planned than we know."

**-56-**

Five weeks passed uneventfully both in Olympus and the village of Gardev. Once again, K-1 had spent another day gleaning through the ancient stone tablets and tomes of the old Olympus archives. So far, all he had unearthed were more birth, death and marriage records.

"At least it was easy to teach Glacian and Gloria that old language," though K-1 as he flipped through another old, dusty book, reading through and memorizing everything in a matter of seconds, "Old Olympus still takes quite a bit of my power to properly translate. At this rate, I'll have everything analyzed within a matter of years at the very most." For hours, K-1 continued to analyze the old records. As a robot, K-1 required no sleep or rest and had continued his task well into the morning. With several pairs of arms extended, he read through one tablet and one book at a time, carefully setting them back in their proper places. This procession continued well into the morning when something particularly interesting finally registered in K-1's processors.

"What have we here?" thought K-1 as he read the cover of another old, gray-colored book with thick, brown pages, "'What lies in this book is meant only for the winged ones and their closest friends, for what lies in this tome is the known history of the Black Pendant: the most evil, arcane object I've ever known. What I have seen, I wish I had never even caught a glimpse of. May the elders rest in peace for their valiant efforts and may the Black Pendant's power fail. Only the great one, the oldest of his family, may unlock what lies inside this book.'" Just then, K-1 found that this tome possessed a silver, metal lock on the front cover. He pried at the tome, hoping he could break the lock and open it, but to no avail.

"What is this thing made of?" thought a bewildered K-1, "My hydraulic arms are capable of crushing 5-inch bricks of steel. Even the strongest titanium chains I've ever come across were no match for me." K-1 took another look at the stubborn, sealed book: the thick pages were fake, camouflage for what now appeared to be a locked box of very resilient metal. K-1 threw the fake book to the floor and unfolded his mini plasma Vulcan cannons. They soon started to spin with a loud whirring.

"If I can't break it open with my bare hands, maybe a flurry of some super heated gas will do the trick," thought K-1. Several guards, not fifty yards from the archive entrance jumped when they heard the loud booms and bangs coming from the archive.

"Not again…" muttered Wallace as he and Arthur ran down the hallway. They sprinted right into the ancient archives and were greeted with smoke and the smell of burning paper.

"What are you doing this time?" demanded Wallace with impatience as K-1's smoking cannons were folded up back into his sides. K-1 sneered at the remains of the smoking book. His vicious attack had only burned off the leather of the book's cover and disintegrated the paper that had disguised the metal sides of what was now a locked box. The silvery metal was completely unharmed and still shone with a bright luster. The symbols of the front cover of the former, disguised book were raised. Despite being the weakest part of this 2 by 3 foot box, they too were completely unharmed. Engraved right below the raised symbols on the cover was another message. K-1 quickly translated the revealed symbols.

"'Nice try, blue-eyed cat,'" said K-1 out loud, "Sheesh…whoever wrote these tomes and tablets may have passed away ages ago, but he's really starting to creep me out."

"Are you alright, K-1?" asked a concerned Wallace.

"I'm quite alright," said K-1, "Well, mostly. Are the king and queen busy right now?"

"You desire an audience with them?" asked Wallace, "Then please follow me. I was given strict orders from the king himself to take you to the throne room if anything came up. From what I can see, you've unearthed something important."

"Alright," said K-1 as he extended an arm from his chest compartment and plucked the smoldering, metal box from the floor, "Please lead the way." Meanwhile, Glacian and Gloria were sitting in their golden thrones, listening to and watching Angel as she presented her work to the king and queen of Olympus.

"What do you think?" asked Angel as she proudly showed a pair of ornate wedding dresses to Glacian and Gloria, "Aura picked out the most extravagant design I could come up with."

"That's a splendid start!" said Glacian with delight, "The embroidery is, to say the least, exquisite."

"I suppose the next part is to place and secure the jewels?" asked Gloria with excitement. Angel smiled and nodded her head.

"It's going to take me weeks to get everything done, but make no mistake, these dresses will be ready for Enrique and Anna's wedding day," said Angel with glee.

"Thank you very much for doing this," said Glacian with joy, "Enrique and Anna are going to love these." Angel laughed.

"Oh, no!" said Angel with laughter, "I haven't started on Enrique and Anna's wedding dresses just yet. Those are going to be easy compared to these!" Glacian and Gloria were stunned.

"These are for the Guardians?" asked Glacian.

"Yes," replied Angel with a smile, "Mack is going to be in for such a surprise!" Glacian and Gloria grinned at the young, giggling Gardevoir.

"Oh, boy," said Glacian as he chuckled warmly, "Mack was only starting to get used to his wedding dress." Gloria tried to stifle her laughter, but it was no use. The queen laughed long, hard and loud for several minutes.

"So, you know Mack's thoughts about wedding attire, too?" asked Angel with a raised eyebrow. Gloria soon regained her composure, smiled and nodded her head a few times.

"He's going to be in for a shock: that much is certain," said Gloria as there was a loud knock at the immense, marble doors of the throne room.

"Who is it?" asked Glacian as his voice echoed throughout the massive throne room. The door slowly creaked open.

"It's Wallace, your highness," said Wallace through the small opening, "K-1 has discovered something in the archives and wishes to see you and her highness."

"One moment and you may enter," said Glacian as Angel promptly teleported the unfinished wedding dresses back to her office.

"You may enter now, Wallace," said Gloria. Glacian smiled as her gentle voice echoed ever so softly in the gigantic room. The immense doors were slowly opened by Vladimir and Daniel, revealing K-1 and Wallace with Arthur right behind them. K-1 stepped forward with the metal box in his hands.

"Wallace, Arthur: you may leave us," said Glacian.

"At once, your Excellency," said Wallace as he and Arthur bowed towards Glacian and then to Gloria, "Your highness." Wallace and Arthur left the throne room as Vladimir and Daniel closed the giant, white marble doors. K-1 boldly approached the king and queen toting the glimmering box.

"Glacian, I found something in the old archives," said K-1, "It says on the cover that what lies in here is only for the winged ones and their closest friends." Glacian nodded and faced Angel.

"Angel, please take leave of us and I thank your for a most wonderful presentation," said Glacian with a smile.

"You're very welcome, your highness," said Angel as she offered a curtsey and then teleported out of the throne room.

"In case you didn't know, it is forbidden to teleport into the throne room at any time," said Gloria.

"I'll keep that in mind," said K-1 as he walked up to Glacian and handed him the heavy, silver box, "The only problem here, is that it's locked tight." Glacian chuckled as he sniffed the box and read the metal symbols on the front face of the small safe: the smell of burnt paper and leather was unmistakable.

"I see you already tried everything in your arsenal to get it open, K-1," said Glacian with warm laughter, "'Nice try, blue-eyed cat.' Whoever wrote these inscriptions knew very well who would one day find this sealed box."

"I didn't try every trick I know," said K-1, "Either way; this is really starting to creep me out."

"I thought robots didn't feel fear," said Gloria.

"Artificial intelligence does not posses feelings of any kind while artificial sentience does," explained K-1, "There are even a few things that Central herself fears."

"So I see," said Glacian as he eyed the silver box, "I believe the symbols on this box also say that the only greatest and oldest member of a certain family can unlock it."

"You are correct," said K-1, "Do you have any idea who will be able to open this thing?"

"I believe I do," said Glacian as he eyed the lock slit closely, "K-1, please follow me." Gloria stood up from her throne and held onto Glacian's left hand as they left the throne room together with K-1 right behind them. The Gallades opened and closed the massive doors to let their king, queen and their guest through. The closing of the massive marble doors echoed throughout the large cavernous corridors. Other Gallades would bow with reverence as Glacian and Gloria walked past them, wearing their sparkling crowns and wondrous wedding splendor.

"Are we heading to our bedroom, dear?" asked Gloria, her wedding dress rustling softly along the white and gray marble floor.

"Yes," replied Glacian softly as K-1's metal feet clanked behind the two monarchs, "I may have just the thing, something my father told me to guard as long as I lived." Glacian swiftly opened a dark, wooden door with a bronze handle, revealing the king and queen's massive bedroom. The furnishings were truly fit for royalty: a large, marble-framed bed with white sheets and a dozen pillows, two marble and golden bedside tables, one on each side of the bed. There were four dressers in the room, each over seven feet tall: two on each side of the room. A dozen of the mysterious torches with their strange, bright, blue fire were placed throughout the room in bronze holders. Glacian led his wife to one of the dressers on the left wall. He released his lovely mate's hand and opened the top drawer. K-1 waited patiently as Glacier rifled through his extra briefs, throwing them on the floor. Gloria giggled as a small pile of soft, white underwear formed on Glacian's right.

"What are you doing, Glacian, besides making a big mess out of your underwear?" asked a grinning Gloria. Glacian grinned back at his giggling wife as he pulled a very elaborate, golden key with small diamonds, emeralds, sapphires and rubies covering the ornate handle.

"My father gave me this key many years ago," explained Glacian, "He told me to keep it hidden and safe; however, he never did tell me what it was for. So, why don't we find out now, eh?" K-1 handed the Gardevoir king the heavy, silver box. Glacian smiled confidently as he started to push the key into the shining lock. Gloria gasped, K-1 stared on with immense surprise and Glacian frowned: the key did not quite fit into the slot.

"That was…anticlimactic," said K-1. Glacian chuckled.

"I should have known," said Glacian, laughing as he used his telekinetic powers to have his clean underwear and the well-decorated key float back into the dresser drawer. The drawer promptly closed itself shut as soon as its contents were back in their proper place.

"Still, I can't help but wonder what that key is for," said Gloria, deep in thought as K-1 started to analyze the slit of the sealed box's lock. The slot was a very unusual shape. K-1 then turned his attention to Glacian's sparkling, golden and jeweled crown. With all the time K-1 had spent translating the language now known as Old Olympus and all the other unwanted surprises that had surfaced over the last several months, he was willing to try just about anything no matter how stupid or insane the idea appeared.

"I may never know," said Glacian as he shrugged his shoulders.

"Glacian?" asked K-1.

"What is it, K-1?" asked Glacian. The old robot now had the complete and undivided attention of the king and queen.

"Why don't you try sticking one of the gold spires on your crown into the lock and twisting it?" suggested K-1.

"Surely you're joking!" laughed Gloria. Glacian was laughing too, but nevertheless, he tenderly pulled the sparkling diadem off of his head and then slid one of the golden spires into the lock. The two monarchs stopped laughing when they saw that the spire fit perfectly into the lock.

"Looks like my calculations were correct," said K-1 with utter disbelief. The king and queen were equally baffled.

"Go ahead," said K-1 eagerly, "Turn your crown." To Glacian and his lovely mate, the whole idea was ludicrous. Still, Glacian carefully maneuvered the crown and silver box. The sound of the lock disengaging was the sweetest sound the robot and the two royal Gardevoirs had heard all day.

"I'm starting to really like the Gardevoir who wrote up these riddles," said an astonished Glacian as he removed the spire of his crown from the lock and then placed the splendorous diadem back on his head, "Now, let's see what's inside…" Glacian slowly opened the silvery box. Inside, he found an odd, sparkling green crystal, resting on several small sheets of white satin. The crystal was six-sided, 3 inches thick and 10 inches long with the sides meeting up at a point on the top and bottom.

"What do you make of this, honey?" asked Gloria with a soft voice. To say the least, Glacian was stumped: the crystal had what appeared to be a single, red button on its base. K-1's keen, digital eyes gazed deep into the mysterious relic.

"I…I don't know, Gloria," said a bewildered Glacian.

"I think I know what this is," said an amazed K-1; his powerful eyes detected what appeared to be fine circuitry inside the crystal, "Let me take a closer look." K-1 extended one of his arms from his chest compartment as Glacian handed him the crystal. K-1 was mesmerized: now that he could get an even closer look, he saw the circuitry much more clearly. A few minutes later and his programming told him what he was dealing with. K-1 carefully handed the strange crystal back to Glacian.

"I think what we have here is some sort of storage device," said K-1, "I just am not quite sure what kind it is."

"So, how did you find the box containing this crystal in the first place?" asked Glacian.

"I was going through the last of the old tomes when I came across what appeared to be a locked tome. After trying to break it open and then blast it open, I brought it to you," explained K-1, "So far, this crystal may have the information we are seeking concerning the Black Pendant. I suspect that all we have to do is push the button and…well, either stand back or get ready to watch some sort of movie."

"But, who could have made this and how?" asked Gloria.

"Your guess is as good as mine," said K-1, "Whatever this device is, the maker surely spent a lot of time on it." Glacian nodded his head as he held the crystal in his hands.

"Gloria, I think we better have all the members of our family gather in the throne room tonight," said Glacian, "It is there that we'll see just what this crystal can tell us."

"Glacian, dear, don't you think we should have a few others with us?" suggested Gloria, "Maybe the Elite Guards and our advisors should know of this as well."

"I agree, my queen," replied Glacian, "Then we'll have Wallace, Arthur, Vladimir Daniel and their mates join us. While we're at it, we'll invite our advisors, the chief scribe, their mates and Mack's friends, Seth and Maria."

"In wedding attire?" asked Gloria, smiling at her king. Glacian chuckled and nodded his head.

"But of course," said Glacian as he wrapped his left arm around his beautiful mate, "Anything for you."

"Shall I alert Mack and Aura of this meeting?" asked K-1.

"Yes," answered Glacian, "I want them to be at the palace by 9:00 this evening. Everyone else in the city will be asleep by then. I don't want anyone else to know of this unless we can be sure of what to expect from this crystal."

"Understood," said K-1 as he started on his way out of the king and queen's bedroom, "Then I shall have the Guardians here at the appointed time, Glacian."


	13. Section 13

The Village Guardians

**-57-**

Night had fallen over the massive city of Olympus. The streets were deserted and dark, with the exception of the mysterious torches, their blue fire lighting up the streets and alleys. At the palace, the heart of the city, all 51 Gallades of the Elite Guard were on patrol with dozens of them patrolling just outside the walls. All was quiet: only the occasional chatter and light footsteps from the guards broke the near silence in Olympus. The time was 8:45 in the evening; the sun had set over an hour ago. Four of the Gallades were standing guard at the palace's front gate. They looked down the street as a pair of Gardevoirs briskly walked towards the palace. Even in the low light, the Gallades immediately recognized the sapphire and ruby pendants of the Guardians of Gardev. Aura was on Mack's left, smiling as she and Mack walked towards the immense palace with their arms linked together and in their glamorous wedding attire. Aura was relieved at her good fortune: somehow, Angel had another set of wedding dresses just like Mack and Aura's originals in storage. The news and the successful, unnoticed delivery of the dresses to Gardev had been a Godsend to Aura since her and Mack's real wedding dresses had already been altered. As a result, Mack didn't suspect anything. The two Gardevoir lovers soon came to a stop at the front gate.

"Guardians of Gardev," said of the Gallades with respect, "You may pass. Please proceed with haste as the king and queen are expecting you." Mack nodded as he led Aura through the front gate. The Gallades parted to let the Guardians through. They admired Mack and Aura: they could even see Aura's beautiful wings folded up on her back. Mack's ornate, flowing cape covered his wings, but was still an impressive sight nonetheless. Once inside the palace, the Guardians soon noticed the torches in the corridors were burning brightly, lighting up the immense hallways. All that could be heard were their soft footsteps, the light clinking of Aura's jewelry and the sound of the soft petticoats rustling under their beautiful wedding dresses.

"I still can't understand why Glacian insisted that we come in our wedding attire," said Mack softly to his wife.

"I'll bet something very important is about to happen tonight," said Aura with a bright smile, "I've heard that Gardevoirs will wear their wedding attire on other occasions besides holidays and those special days. For example: funerals and special meetings with the royal family."

"I can understand that," said Mack as he led his lovely mate down the hallway. Aura smiled at Mack.

"So, are you okay with wearing your wedding dress tonight?" asked Aura cheerfully.

"I think I'm starting to like this," said Mack quietly as he shrugged his shoulders, "Besides, I know how much you like it when I wear my wedding attire. That fact alone is why I wore it at all in the first place."

"You are quite handsome when you're all dressed up," giggled Aura as she leaned against her beloved husband.

"Just for you, my love," said Mack as he quickly kissed Aura on her cheek. Up ahead, they saw another squad of Gallades, guarding the main entrance to the throne room. The Guardians stopped a few yards from the large, marble doors as a Gallade stepped towards them.

"Welcome, Guardians of Gardev," said one the Gallade as the rest of the guards bowed politely and with reverence towards Mack and Aura, "Glacian is about to begin the meeting. Please enter."

"Thank you very much," said Mack as the other three Gallades slowly opened the immense doors. Mack and Aura slowly walked into the throne room and the Gallades quickly closed the door behind the Guardians. Fifty yards away, Mack saw several other Gardevoir couples in their splendorous wedding attire. He even saw four Gallades with their mates. They were all sitting in ornate, wooden chairs in front of the Gardevoir monarchs as they sat in their golden thrones. Glacian looked up and smiled at Mack and Aura as they approached the thrones.

"Welcome, Mack and Aura," said Glacian cheerfully. Mack and Aura nodded their heads and smiled: Wallace stood up and directed the Guardians to their chairs at the center of the group. As Mack and Aura sat down, Wallace returned to his seat next to his mate just as Glacian and Gloria stood up.

"I welcome all of you to this crucial meeting," said Glacian as he surveyed the Gardevoirs and Gallades in his presence. Alexander, Aurora, Fredrick, Sakura, Wallace, Arthur, Vladimir and Daniel were all in wedding attire with their mates. Enrique, Anna, Ramirez and Angel sat next to each other. Behind the king and queen sat the six Gardevoir elders with their mates and at the king's right hand, sat the chief scribe, Artos, with his wife. Glacian smiled, enjoying the sight of so many happily married couples gathered together in their wedding splendor. Anna also was in awe of this scene.

"I can't wait until we get married," whispered Anna to Enrique. The young male Gardevoir blushed and smiled at his bride to be. Simon stood off in the distance, standing against one of the walls in the shadows. Ramirez and Angel were holding hands as the king and queen stepped forward. The king's voice echoed throughout the gigantic room.

"What you are all about to witness must remain a secret. None of what may happen here tonight may leave this room unless I command so. Does everyone understand?" asked Glacian, warning his family, the Gallades and his advisors. Everyone in the room stood up from their chairs, fell on their knees and bowed their heads as a sign of allegiance and respect.

"We understand and will obey his highness's word," said all the Gardevoirs and Gallades.

"You may return to your seats," said Gloria gently. All the Gardevoirs and Gallades stood up and sat back down in their seats with the sound of their rustling dresses filling the nearly silent throne room. Glacian and Gloria sat back down in their thrones with their crowns shinning brightly.

"Today, a great friend of ours has made an incredible discovery," declared Glacian, "As you all know, we have revived the once forgotten language of our people now known as Old Olympus. This was our friend's first gift to us and we owe him a great deal of gratitude. However, just today, this wonderful being made another fantastic discovery: one that he shall reveal to you all." Gloria turned her gaze to her left.

"K-1, please step forward and present your discovery," said Gloria with a bright smile. K-1 stepped forward out of the shadows with his feet clanking against the marble floor. Once he was in between the rulers and their family, he opened the doors on his chest compartment. One of his hands came forth with a green, glowing crystal held in the metallic fingers.

"K-1, we are forever in your debt," said Glacian, "And, I must also thank my great-great granddaughter, Anna, for helping K-1 decipher the language of Old Olympus." Anna smiled at Glacian as K-1 placed the crystal on the floor.

"K-1, please press the button on the bottom of the crystal," said Gloria with a gentle voice. K-1 nodded as he reached out with his hand to press the single, red button on the bottom of the mysterious, green crystal.

"Everyone, be ready," cautioned Glacian as Gloria held his hand.

"Here goes nothing…" said K-1 to himself as he pressed the switch with one of his fingers and promptly jumped back, not sure what to expect. The crystal glowed with a bright green light, illuminating the entire throne room as a strange, low hum filled the immense throne room. The brilliant light soon abated, revealing a pair of Gardevoirs, ghostly in appearance. Glacian and Gloria stared on with their eyes opened wide. The transparent Gardevoirs were adorned in wondrous wedding attire, much like the dresses and jewelry worn by Glacian and Gloria. The crowns on the heads of the ghost Gardevoirs were unmistakable and Glacian soon recognized who they were.

"Incredible!" shouted Glacian, "It's King Cyrus and Queen Alexi! They ruled Olympus back when the first Guardians watched over Gardev, over a thousand years ago."

"You're right, Glacian," said Gloria with astonishment, "I remember seeing a large painting of them in one of the palace corridors, dressed just like they are now."

"Are they ghosts?" asked an uneasy Wallace.

"No," replied Mack confidently, "I think that crystal is a crude holographic projector and storage mechanism of some sort. I just can't imagine how such a device was crafted or what's even powering it." King Cyrus bowed as his queen offered a curtsey. Cyrus then stood back up, as did his wife. He faced towards Glacian and Gloria and spoke with a firm voice.

"If this machine has been turned on, then I can only assume that the Guardians of Gardev, the rest of the royal family and only their closest friends are present," said Cyrus, "This message is for them only. I congratulate the blue-eyed metal cat for finding my crystal and to the hunted one for finding the only translation left of the written Gardevoir language." Simon snorted with contempt, knowing very well who Cyrus spoke of.

"What do you wish to know?" asked Alexi cheerfully, "The Black Pendant, the Gardevoir Language or how the crystal was made?"

"What is this?" asked a perplexed Glacian, "Why is she asking us questions?" Mack knew what was going on.

"It's a menu," said Mack, "Just say what you want to see of the options she just gave us." Glacian nodded and faced Alexi.

"I wish to learn more about the Gardevoir language," answered Glacian. Alexi smiled and faced her husband.

"The Gardevoir language," said Cyrus, "Many years ago, before humans walked the earth, there were Pokémon. Gardevoirs have always been one of the most benevolent and intelligent Pokémon throughout the ages. Anyway, not long after the good Lord saw fit to put man on the earth, the Gardevoirs of old came up with the very first written language of this earth. Little else is known about how this language was created, but what I do know is that the written form of our language passed out of knowledge of most Gardevoirs over time. Millennia passed and soon, only the Gardevoir cities that had been formed were the only places where the written form of Gardevoir was still taught and remembered."

"Sadly, my husband had to take drastic measures to protect the secrets in the crystal before you," said Alexi with despair.

"Indeed," said Cyrus, "After the disaster caused by the Black Pendant, I ordered that the written form of our language never be taught anywhere in Olympus. At my insistence, the kings of the other cities agreed to my request after they learned what had happened. From that day, no one was allowed to learn, recite or even use the written language ever again. Instead, all Ralts, Kirlias and Gardevoirs were to learn the written form of Japanese, the main language of this area of the world."

"It was not long before our written language was forgotten," said Alexi solemnly.

"I personally made several thousand stone tablets," explained Cyrus, "These were the only way left to translate the Gardevoir language; however, to prevent anyone in the city from reading the tablets, I wrote out the translation in Chinese, a language I had learned when I was a youth, the prince of Olympus. I learned this language from a rogue Pokémon teacher who dwelled in Olympus. Chinese was never taught in Olympus and very few Pokémon ever learn the written forms of the human languages. To make sure I could include every symbol of the language, I painstakingly wrote out the entire Old Testament of the Word of God. Thus, the deepest secrets of the Black Pendant have remained safe. Now, I hope to tell you all the little that is known of that evil relic." Alexi smiled.

"What do you wish to know?" asked Alexi cheerfully, "The Black Pendant, the Gardevoir Language or how the crystal was made?"

"May I ask a question?" asked Mack to Glacian.

"Go ahead, Mack," replied Glacian with a nod.

"I want to learn more of how the crystal was made," said Mack. Alexi nodded her head and faced Cyrus.

"My husband, the king of Olympus will answer your question," said Alexi as she smiled.

"The crystal before you I do not have a name for," explained Cyrus, "It took me over a century to construct it going off of forgotten crafts and disciplines. What I made was a machine of sorts that would allow me to keep records of my memories and also allow me to teach and show the finders of this incredible artifact what is known of the Black Pendant and why the written form of Gardevoir was outlawed."

"A fragment of a thunderstone at the crystal's base provides electricity to the complex workings," said Alexi, "This was the only way we could bring life to the crystal. As to how my husband's machine works, I don't know and he won't tell anyone, not even me." Cyrus nodded his head.

"Yes," said Cyrus, "I just wanted to make sure that no one else would know about the crystal except for me and my lovely wife." Alexi smiled again as she faced straight forward.

"What do you wish to know?" asked Alexi cheerfully, repeating the options once again, "The Black Pendant, the Gardevoir Language or how the crystal was made?"

"Please tell us about the Black Pendant," asked Glacian. Cyrus and Alexi nodded their heads in unison.

"My husband will explain everything," said Alexi as her apparition suddenly vanished.

"Perhaps it would be best to start from the very beginning," said Cyrus, "After the great flood of old, Pokémon again freely roamed the earth. Some types of Pokémon even banded together. In particular, Psychic Types: Gardevoirs, Alakazams, Hypnos, Medichams…just about any Psychic Pokémon you can imagine, even a few Mews. Yes, there is far more than one Mew. Many great cities were founded including, most notably, the city of Olympus by the Gardevoirs. Anyway, with the combined efforts of those great, intelligent Pokémon, they created many wonders and even discovered the evolution stones we know today. The first Gallade is believed to have come into existence not long after the legendary plagues in Egypt. You can find out more about the Gallades and the history of the Elite Guards in the old archive room where you found my crystal. Anyway, many types of Pokémon joined together for the greater good. Sadly, this was not always the case, for some types banded together in an attempt to gain control over the world and other Pokémon. No one knows why, but Dark and Ghost types joined forces and wreaked havoc, destroying many of the Pokémon settlements, killing untold numbers of Pokémon and humans alike. We Psychic Types have always favored and pushed for peace, but we were not about to sit back and watch our fellow Pokémon and the humans get slaughtered. With an immense combined effort and many years of research, the other Psychic Pokémon helped the Gardevoirs of old create the legendary pendants of power. Several of them were fashioned with different gemstones: ruby, sapphire, emerald, diamond, onyx, pink tourmaline, white opal and other precious stones at the very core. No information remains on how exactly the pendants were created, but one fact remains: only a member of the Gardevoir royal family of Olympus could wield the immense power. The King and Queen of Olympus, the king's eldest brother and the king's first-born son went into battle months later and wiped out the attacking Pokémon. Sadly, the king's youngest brother, the wearer of the white opal pendant was killed in the ferocious battle and his pendant was captured by the enemy." Alexi's transparent apparition faded back into view. She bowed her head with sadness as tears streamed down her face.

"Alistair was his name. He died protecting dozens of human families while they escaped their burning village," said Alexi solemnly, "His wife, Mary, died not long after she heard the news that her husband had perished. They were both buried together in their wedding attire, deep in the Olympus tombs." Alexi's figure soon vanished, leaving her husband in view.

"That was not the worst of it," said Cyrus, "The great Pokémon Wars were now in full swing. They would continue for almost one hundred years. To make matters worse, other Pokémon joined in the cause of the murderous Darks and Ghosts. There is one thing I want to make very clear: most of the Dark and Ghost Pokémon wanted nothing to do with the idea of world conquest. Nevertheless, before long, more and more Pokémon joined the cause of the murderous ones who we know call the Blight, the Blight of the earth. One such Pokémon group who joined the Blight was many Kabutops and their bloodthirsty leader, Heavy Claw. Apparently, he was one of a select few who figured out how to corrupt the opal pendant. However, there was one Kabutops who refused to continue with Heavy Claw, a rogue who would become known as The Hunted One by his own kind. He eventually made his way to Olympus to tell the king and queen about what he had seen. The Hunted One told stories of how several Pokémon of the Blight had made a pact with a powerful, evil spirit. So long as they waged war against the humans and other Pokémon, the spirit would grant them immense power in return. Heavy Claw and the others would retain that power once they had victory, in order to rule and enslave the free Pokémon and humans of the earth. With the spirit's knowledge and incredible power, the spirit entered the opal pendant, possessing it. In a matter of moments, the once beautiful, white, sparkling pendant turned a deep black. Three Pokémon were selected to don the pendant in battle, among them, Heavy Claw. However, the murderous Kabutops was not chosen. Instead, a Mightyena would wear the pendant in battle in a war to wipe out the royal family of Olympus." Mack glanced back at Simon as he stood in the shadows. The Guardian wondered if Simon was the so-called Hunted One who Cyrus had mentioned.

"Pay close attention to King Cyrus, Guardian," cautioned Simon quietly while Cyrus continued his story, "There is much he must explain to you."

"The king and queen of Olympus had had enough of the death, destruction and terror of the Blight. Within another month, they gathered millions of Pokémon in one last ditch effort to crush the Blight and capture what was now called the Black Pendant. The king, queen and almost all of the royal family lead the charge in the final battle of the great Pokémon Wars," said Cyrus as a single tear streaked down his face, "The only ones who survived had fled. Because of this, no one knows what really happened on the battlefield that day. Some say the battle raged on for days and days with no clear winner with the Black Pendant leading and empowering the attacking, malicious Pokémon. In the end though, the Blight were utterly wiped out, but at the cost of untold millions of Pokémon who had dared to take a stand against incredible odds. There was even more sorrow in Olympus, for by the time the battle was over, the good king and queen and the rest of the royal family had been killed in the violent fighting, not to mention the thousands of Ralts and Kirlia who were now orphaned as well as widowed Gardevoirs whose husbands paid the ultimate price for to give life and freedom. Only one member of the royal family still lived: a male Kirlia, not even eight years old, was crowned the new King of Olympus when word came that the rest of the royal family was dead. Fortunately, he had been deemed too young to go into battle. That was the only reason the royal family had not been removed from the face of the earth during those fateful days. That was the first time a Kirlia had ever sat on the throne of Olympus and would also be the last time. The battle was over, but no one dared go to the battlefield: there are no records of what was seen, but the sight was called the most grisly thing ever on earth. Only the depths of Hell were said to be more horrible than the final battlefield of the Great Pokémon Wars. The reports were so horrible that no one would even go to collect the pendants from the fallen members of the royal family. To this day, no one knows what transpired on the battlefield that day." Alexi soon appeared again next to her husband.

"There was still much to celebrate," said Alexi with great hope, "For in a few short years, the king had become a Gardevoir and was soon married after that. The young Gardevoir, known as King Xavier, was wise and powerful beyond his years. Despite the loss of everyone dear to him, he led Olympus onward. Plus, now that he had a great queen at his side, he was no longer so alone. With her support, he finally got the confidence and courage to explore the old battlefield to reclaim the missing pendants." Alexi faded from view once again.

"Nothing could have prepared King Xavier for what he saw," said Cyrus, "The records he kept said the battlefield was littered with millions of skeletons in what was now the largest graveyard in the world. He was only glad the sight would not haunt his dreams for the rest of his life. He scoured the hideous grounds for over a week; nonetheless, the pendants were nowhere to be found. Xavier had discovered human footprints throughout the massive, old battlefield. They all lead to one spot: the final resting place of the Olympus royal family. The skeletons of his family were still intact and they were all still in their wedding attire, dresses, jewelry and all; except for one thing, the pendants were all missing. The human footprints were all over the ground near the skeletons of his fallen family. Xavier now knew the pendants were in the hands of man, though he was not worried for only a member of his family, by blood or by marriage could wield their power. Nevertheless, he feared for whoever picked up the Black Pendant, for Xavier never found it after a week's search." Alexi's figure soon faded back into view. She bowed her head.

"King Xavier was still relieved that his family could finally be given a proper burial. He went back to Olympus to gather hundreds of willing Gardevoirs to collect the remains of his family and of other Gardevoirs who had perished in the last battle of the war," explained Alexi with sadness but also hope in her voice. The old queen's apparition vanished once again.

"The next month in Olympus was nothing but funerals and identifying the dead," said Cyrus as he continued to tell his story, "Eventually, all the fallen Gardevoirs were finally given a proper burial in the Olympus tombs. From the days of King Xavier to when I was crowned king of Olympus, no one knew the fate of the missing pendants. Then, one fateful day, a human saved a Gardevoir from certain death: she surely would have frozen to death in the glaciers of Mount Ivory. Her name was Aura and she was not just any Gardevoir, for she was a member of the royal family of Olympus. Eventually, this man stumbled into the city of Olympus itself: he was the first human to have ever entered one of the hidden cities of the Gardevoirs. I knew from the moment I met him that he was a very honorable and an honest man, especially after I heard from a few other Gardevoirs how well he had taken care of Aura. Alexi and I sent the man on his way back to his village with fresh supplies and Aura's boyfriend volunteered to guide the man back to his home. Weeks later, word came back to me that an avalanche had almost wiped the man's village off the mountainside, but Aura singlehandedly stopped the avalanche with her immense power. Gardevoirs in this part of the world have always been stronger than average and members of the royal family have been the most powerful on earth since Pokémon first walked the earth. The man named his village Gardev in honor of Aura: he and the rest of the villagers begged Aura to stay with them and she agreed. What happened next no one could have seen coming, for he gave Aura two of the lost pendants as a gift! The sapphire and ruby pendants had been recovered. Unknowingly, Aura accepted the pendants, put the ruby one around her neck and then gave the other to her boyfriend as a gift. They were married that very night and became the first Guardians of Gardev." Alexi's apparition appeared once again. She giggled and smiled with delight.

"To think our firstborn daughter, princess Aura would get to do something so honorable," giggled Alexi, "I was so happy that she also now had a husband. It was quite a challenge to get the entire family, other spectators, food, wine, wedding dresses and appropriate jewelry down to the village in a matter of hours, but the trouble was worth getting to see her wedding." Alexi vanished once again.

"Together, they would protect the village of Gardev throughout their lives until the day they would pass on the pendants to their descendants," said Cyrus happily, "I was overjoyed that the two pendants had been found, plus they were even being put to good use to enhance the powers of the Guardians of Gardev. The pendants had not been intended as weapons of war, but as tools for good. Nevertheless, our peace with the humans was about to be disrupted. You see, the Pokémon wars were over, but our kind was now being hunted by humans. For the most part, they only sought Gardevoirs as companions and friends, but a few humans had other ideas. One such human was the leader of a massive samurai army who sought to find and crush Olympus: he wanted to force the Gardevoirs and their children to join his army in the hope he could control the surrounding lands. They were well on their way to Olympus. However, with some very ingenious trickery, the founder of Gardev and the Guardians, just three beings, scared the entire army out of the mountain range. They would not return for several years. That time, they would come with the help of the founder of Gardev's foul brother and the most dreaded weapon imaginable: the Black Pendant, worn by a powerful Houndoom. By this time, Aura and her mate now had children and they had all evolved in Gardevoirs. In fact, their eldest son was now old enough to seek a mate, but now we knew the Black Pendant was back and the power of two pendants would not be enough to even hold back that evil relic's power. Much to my surprise, the founder of Gardev produced two more pendants: the emerald and diamond pendants were given to the Guardians of Gardev. Aura's husband gave the emerald pendant to his oldest brother and then gave the diamond pendant to his oldest son. The power of the four relics was too much for the Houndoom and its dark power. The evil brother and the samurai leader watched with disbelief as the four Guardians soundly defeated the power of the Black Pendant. Their champion felled, the enemy army fled with the Guardians driving them away with their combined and immense power. The evil brother of the founder of Gardev vowed he would return one day and claim the Gardevoir city. That day never came to pass and he died 27 years later. Meanwhile, the four wielders of the legendary pendants had to combine their power again in order to safely bring the Black Pendant back to Olympus. The pendant was brought into the very center of the throne room. Once the Guardians had left Olympus, my advisors, the queen and I pondered about how we would purify the vile relic. The evil spirit at the very core of the once-beautiful opal was incredibly powerful. You all shall now see what transpired on the day we tried to rid the opal pendant of the dark power. Brace yourselves, for what happened that fateful day has haunted me for over a century. You will now see and hear what Alexi and I saw and heard all those years ago with hope you can learn from the events and one day break the curse that has latched onto Alistair's pendant." The crystal started glowing even brighter as the hologram of Cyrus faded and soon disappeared. A strange humming sound started to emanate from the crystal as the light got brighter and brighter. The light faded moments later and everyone discovered that the crystal had vanished without a trace.

"Where on earth did it go?" asked a bewildered Glacian. There was a loud "Click!" behind Glacian's guests as they sat in their chairs before his throne. Glacian, Gloria, their advisors, Mack, Aura and the rest of the Gardevoirs and Gallades turned around and saw the crystal, glowing brightly as it sat still in the middle of the throne room floor, 15 yards away. A strange, low hum started to fill the immense room, echoing off the walls, getting louder and louder. The Gardevoirs and Gallades covered their eyes reflexively as another blinding flash of light lit up the entire throne room. Then, almost as quickly as it came, the brilliant light and the loud hum faded, revealing several transparent Gardevoirs in the middle of the throne room.

"Now what's going on?" asked Wallace quietly.

"I think the crystal is projecting a three-dimensional movie," replied Mack as he and the others gathered around the holograms. Two Gardevoirs stood at a distance from the Black Pendant as it sat in the middle of the floor. The grand wedding attire and sparkling golden crowns made it obvious who they were.

"So, Cyrus and Alexi did witness the attempt to purity the Black Pendant," remarked Glacian. Six other Gardevoirs stood around the cursed pendant, each one with an ornate gold pendant and chain around their necks.

"They must have been the king and queen's advisors," said Gloria. One of the six looked up towards Cyrus as he and Alexi stood still at a distance. Alexi had her left hand on her swollen belly, obviously expecting a Ralts.

"Your highness, we are ready to begin," said the Gardevoir advisor with hope and great confidence.

"Very good, Magus," said Cyrus firmly, "Please be careful, my friend: we really don't know what might happen."

"We can do this, your highness," said Magus sternly, "It will be just like drawing poison from a wound."

"Except this poison is some of the most potent darkness on earth," said Alexi with uneasiness in her voice as Magus approached the evil relic.

"I agree," said Cyrus to his wife, "I just hope we're doing the right thing." Magus and the five other advisors surrounded the Black Pendant, extending their hands towards it. The six Gardevoirs started to glow with a bluish aura as their eyes shone with a bright white light. The blue aura surrounded the pendant and got brighter and brighter as the Gardevoir advisors focused their power.

"I think it's working," said Magus to himself.

"Don't let your guard down;" warned Cyrus as he put his left arm around Alexi, holding her close, "I would not be surprised if all those members of the royal family had been killed on the battlefield just by this single artifact." The black opal on the pendant starter to revert to its normal, white and sparkling color as the advisors continued to focus their immense power.

"Your highness, I think we've got it!" said Magus loudly as the pendant shone brightly.

"I can't believe it," said Cyrus with amazement, "To think it would actually be easy to rid the pendant of the evil that has latched onto it for so long. Praise the Lord!" An unnerving, evil and insane laughter could be heard faintly in the throne room. Cyrus's eyes opened wide as he held his mate close.

"Magus, Advisors…get away from the pendant…" warned Cyrus as the evil laughter got louder and louder.

"I think we have it, sir," said Magus, "That evil spirit shall have power over Alistair's pendant no more!" The frightful laughter got louder and louder, echoing throughout the throne room. Even all who dwelled in the palace were worried and scared, wondering what was transpiring in the throne room.

"Magus!" shouted Cyrus with great fear, "Get away from the pendant this instant! I sense a great evil and it's gathering its power!" Magus refused to move from his spot.

"Magus!" screamed a shocked Alexi, "Do as we say! NOW!!"

"You fools…" said a malicious voice, echoing throughout the throne room. The Gardevoir advisors immediately stopped trying to purity the pendant and the bright blue aura on the old artifact quickly vanished. A terrible silence filled the room.

"Who are you?" asked Cyrus, keeping Alexi close to protect her. The loud, vile laughter again filled the throne room.

"You shall pay for your interference," said the mysterious and foul voice, "And know that you can never defeat me." Before Cyrus could say another word, huge tentacles of darkness shot out of the pendant in all directions. Glacian and his guests were stunned and watched in horror at what unfolded before them. Magus and the other advisors were struck by the tentacles: the black arms moved swiftly and through the six Gardevoirs like ghosts. Magus and the advisors screamed out in terror and dropped to the floor. Cyrus looked on with absolute horror as Alexi wept bitterly: the six, powerful Gardevoirs were all dead in an instant.

"Who are you?" asked Cyrus again, shaking with fear.

"Who am I?" laughed the foul voice, "Why, I'm the one who now possesses the pendant, of course! And to think that those foolish creatures thought they could defeat me?! They deserved death and that's what I would give you and everyone in this entire, blasted world if only I could do so!" Alexi cried loudly on her husband's shoulder with grief and fear.

"So then, you can't harm me now, eh?" asked Cyrus boldly, "Who are you and why have you come to this world?" The voice emanating from the pendant erupted with more unholy laughter.

"I think I'll tell you, just because I haven't had anyone to talk to in so long and so you know the architect of your fate!" said the foul voice with guile, "I am Shadow Mack. I came from the future and another dimension for one purpose and one purpose only, to have vengeance on my counterpart once and for all." Mack cried out with anguish.

"NO!!" screamed Mack, "It can't be him!! Not here!!"

"Who is Shadow Mack?" asked Aura. Mack didn't respond. Instead, he kept his eyes and attention glued to the holograms.

"What does this have to do with me?" demanded Cyrus as he and Alexi took a few steps back.

"Simple," said Shadow Mack, "I intend to use everything and anything in my power to destroy my counterpart who came from another dimension as well. He destroyed me in my own world, but not my spirit. As a master of darkness and immense power I have followed him through one world after another to try and annihilate my adversary. Yet, time and again he has managed to evade my grasp and has defeated me at every turn, hundreds of times in the last 29,000 years! However, I've only grown all the more powerful and I will not rest until he has been eliminated. Then and only then, I can claim his lifeless body as my own and resume my plans to conquer the worlds beyond my own."

"So I see," said Cyrus.

"That is only the beginning," said Shadow Mack with a cruel chuckle, "I have foreseen it: so long as my adversary does not have offspring he will never be able to defeat me. One day, in the future, he will come to this world, the world of Pokémon and through a bizarre chain of events he will become one of your kind, a Gardevoir. He will then marry into your family, the royal family, against all odds." Cyrus could sense that Shadow Mack's power was weakening as he spoke.

"I know something you don't," said Cyrus without fear as he let go of Alexi and stepped towards the pendant, "Your power is growing weaker. Now, you will surely fall!"

"Stop!!" screamed Alexi, "Don't do it, Cyrus! If you try to purity the pendant, you'll be killed just like our advisors! He can only become stronger by feeding off the power of others!"

"You've gone and spoiled my fun," taunted Shadow Mack with yet more cruel, evil laughter, "My power is fading and I'll be back in hibernation before long for probably another thousand years."

"And not too soon," said Cyrus with relief.

"Indeed," said Shadow Mack, "But not before I do…THIS!!" With a terrible shout, hundreds more dark tentacles erupted from the pendant and shot out in all directions, going through the walls and doors of the palace. Cyrus cringed and dropped to the floor in shock as screams of terror filled the palace.

"What have you done…?" asked Cyrus with grief.

"I may as well not spoil any surprises," said Shadow Mack as he laughed once again, "I've stricken every last member of your family here in the palace and in all of Olympus. I think it's quite convenient that the Olympus royal family has always lived in these mountains and within my reach. Even your precious Guardians of Gardev were stricken, best of all, they didn't even notice! Your bloodline will fall and any chances of my counterpart being able to defeat me shall be utterly blotted out for good! Slowly, but surely, you and your descendants will be unable to wield any of the pendants of power, nor will you or any others in your family be able to have offspring again. Well, not without great difficulty for alas, my power is fading. I have erred. Your bloodline will be preserved, but still weakened and will continue to dwindle down for many millennia to come." Cyrus and Alexi were stunned. They could still hear screams from inside the palace.

"What more could you do to me, you monster?" asked Cyrus with burning anger and despair.

"Easy enough," cackled Shadow Mack, "I can give you one last gift to remember me by for the rest of your life." Before the horrified monarchs could react, one last dark tendril shot out of the pendant and towards Alexi. Alexi screamed and tried to run away, but a strange, black aura was holding her still. The dark tendril prodded her swollen belly. Shadow Mack laughed once again as Alexi cried out with fear.

"Leave her alone!" shouted Cyrus as he tried to run towards the pendant, but he could also not move. The same black aura was now surrounding his body as well. Shadow Mack continued to laugh as the black tendril gently stroked the soft, jeweled white satin on Alexi's belly.

"Such a strong and beautiful child you have," cackled Shadow Mack, "Too bad he'll never see the light of day!" The tendril plunged into Alexi's large belly. Alexi erupted with a bloodcurdling scream as the black aura about her body vanished, as did the dark aura around her husband. The tendril removed itself from her body and faded away like dissipating smoke. Alexi screamed and cried out as she dropped to her knees, clutching onto her belly with her hands.

"Cyrus!" shrieked Alexi, "Our baby isn't moving anymore!" Cyrus glanced at his wife as she wept bitterly. He was thankful that at least the queen herself was unharmed. The tendril had gone through her body like a ghost or a spirit. Cyrus ran up to his wife and placed his hands on her belly. He closed his eyes and focused his power. He cried out with unbridled rage: the unborn Ralts had died in Alexi's womb.

"That does it…" growled Mack as his eyes glowed bright red with anger and hatred, "Shadow Mack!! You'll pay for that with your life, so help me, I'll make you pay for all those that you've killed, especially an unborn child!!" Cyrus smiled at the pendant and laughed. Even Alexi was confused at this sight.

"Your deep rage has blinded you!" laughed Cyrus as he again focused his power. Alexi gasped and latched onto her belly.

"What…what are you doing, Cyrus?" asked Alexi.

"I refuse to believe that my last Ralts is dead!" snarled Cyrus, "I've seen the future! Your great adversary has always been better than you in so many ways and only you or him will survive your final encounter, Shadow Mack!"

"I've crushed him before and I'll do it again," said Shadow Mack nonchalantly. Cyrus laughed again, but this time, with joy. Alexi gasped again as she felt her unborn child again moving inside her belly.

"How did you do that?" asked Alexi with amazement.

"I prayed and I got an answer," said Cyrus with triumph, "We're still going to have one last little one!"

"You are more resourceful than I expected…" muttered Shadow Mack, "Very well. I cannot harm you or your family again, so long as you fools don't try and exorcise me another time. Nevertheless, my curse remains. Your bloodline is going to grow weak and sparse and when the time is right…I will strike."

"Be gone…" said Cyrus as he rethought his rebuke, "Better still, shut up and get lost, you vile creature!"

"Your wish is my command…" said Shadow Mack as he grew weaker and weaker, "For now…nonetheless, I am in your keep and it's only a matter of time until I will have my revenge. Remember that." The throne room grew quiet.

"It's okay," said Cyrus as he sat down at his wife's side and wrapped his arms around her, "That evil monster can't hurt us now." Alexi sobbed into her husband's right shoulder. Cyrus tenderly stroked his beloved mate.

"Cyrus…" said Alexi as she cried, "What will we do with that wretched thing?" Cyrus looked at and sneered at the pendant.

"I'm going to place it at the heart of the treasure room in the palace," said Cyrus, "And make sure all in the city and their descendants know about the Black Pendant." Alexi glanced over at the fallen Gardevoirs.

"Can you please… heal them?" asked Alexi. Cyrus bowed his head.

"I can't…" replied Cyrus with sadness, "That… thing killed them instantly. Whatever he did to them was much stronger than what he tried to do to our child. We'll have to let their mates know and gather the rest of our family here at once. We have to let them know what happened." Alexi gasped again. She started to breath heavily.

"Cyrus…" said Alexi as she closed her eyes tightly, wincing from the pain, "Take me to our room and get the midwives. It's time."

"Oh, dear," said Cyrus as he carefully took Alexi up in his arms, "It's a month too early…" Alexi cried out. Cyrus shouted towards the immense doors of the throne room.

"What is it, your highness?" asked a Gallade frantically, "Something was holding the doors shut!"

"Get the midwives! My wife is about to give birth!" said Cyrus as Alexi cried out again in pain. The Gallade screamed.

"What happened to your advisors?!" shouted the Gallade with fright, "They're all dead!!" Cyrus hastily walked across the floor and through the giant doorway as Alexi screamed.

"I'll explain later, now hurry to my bedroom with the midwives this instant!" commanded Cyrus.

"Yes, sir!" said the Gallade as he ran off down the hallway. There was another loud "Click!" from the crystal as the holograms of the fallen Gardevoirs and the Black Pendant faded out of view. Once again, holograms of Cyrus and Alexi appeared over the crystal. They both bowed their heads and dropped to their knees as they held hands.

"Finders of the crystal: please forgive my wife and I for what you have just witnessed," said Cyrus with grief, "But I felt the only way to properly tell you what happened would be to show you. The pendant has laid dormant now for over a decade in the treasure room and now all in Olympus know to avoid the evil relic. It may be harmless now, but I pity anyone, Pokémon or human who tries to use or expel its evil power again." Cyrus looked up and stood up, helping his wife on her feet. Alexi smiled and giggled.

"That day, I gave birth to a son. We named him Magus in honor of our fallen friend and head advisor," explained Alexi.

"The next several days were hard to bear," said Cyrus, "I held funerals for the advisors, one after the other. They were my best friends and I only wish they had heeded me, for they might have still lived."

"After their deaths and funerals, we offered their wives the positions their husbands had left behind," said Alexi, "They were more than happy to be our advisors. With their help, Olympus prospered all the more. They even remarried with the few widowed Gallades and male Gardevoirs in Olympus within a matter of months. Cyrus and I are so happy that they don't have to spend the rest of their lives without mates after all."

"Now you all know the extent of the power of the Black Pendant, but there is still more you must know," said Cyrus sternly, "We now know the Black Pendant is harmless on its own, unless it absorbs a great amount of energy, which is exactly why Magus and my other advisors were killed. However, the pendant also feeds on the powers of darkness and evil. No one knows why, but anyone with evil intentions will receive immense power when they don the pendant. That is why the Black Pendant must remain in Olympus where it surely will remain safe for at least the next one thousand years." Cyrus's and Alexi's transparent figures vanished once again. Glacian, Gloria, the Guardians and the other Gardevoirs and Gallades were shocked.

"Is that all he wanted to tell us?" asked a curious Glacian, "Surely there is more." Glacian soon got an answer, for there was another loud "Click!" from the crystal as Cyrus and Alexi's figures faded back into view. This time, however, they were both much older and no longer were wearing their crowns. Cyrus bowed as Alexi offered a curtsey once again, moments before they stood back up straight.

"This is our final message to the finders of my crystal," declared Cyrus, "Our time on this earth grows short, plus Alexi and I had a few more things to say to you all."

"Cyrus had a vision several decades ago in which he saw the Guardians of Gardev of the future. They and the rest of the remaining family all had majestic white wings, much like angels are said to have," explained Alexi with a bright smile on her face, "We also know that the two future Guardians will actually break the curse that Shadow Mack struck all members of the royal family with." Cyrus nodded his head.

"I don't know how, but the royal family will again be able to use the power of the pendants once again. Best of all, my future descendants will have Ralts, lots of them!" said Cyrus with great joy, "This all means I can leave this world now without any regret, even though members of my family have been dying mysteriously and have been unable to have children."

"Our son has only managed to have a single, male Ralts with his queen," said Alexi with sadness, "At least we know the next king of Olympus will live long and our bloodline will continue."

"Over the last week, Alexi and I have grown weaker and weaker and our time to pass away is not far; therefore, in an elaborate ceremony, Cyrus and I crowned our son Magus and his mate as the next rulers of Olympus," said Alexi happily, "We know our kingdom is in good hands."

"If the king and queen of the future are watching I want you to know that with the activation of this crystal, the written form of the Gardevoir language may again be taught to all in the city. It is important that they learn of their past now that the Black Pendant is in jeopardy," said Cyrus with triumph, "There shall be no more secrets in Olympus and all may access the old records of the archives. This is my final message to the Guardians and the king and queen of the future: be steadfast and never give up in your fight against evil. Never let the Black Pendant fall into the wrong hands again or you and your subjects will suffer greatly in the years ahead. I know the pendant can be purified, but how this can be done was never revealed to me. Nevertheless, I wish I could have met you all. My wife and I wish you all the very best and may God bless you."

"Now, we shall die together in peace," said Alexi, "Farewell and may the royal family of Olympus grow strong once again." Cyrus closed his eyes and bowed once again towards the onlookers as Alexi offered one last curtsey. The two old monarchs smiled at each other and stood up as their transparent figures slowly faded away, as did the light and the once-loud hum from the crystal. Glacian nodded his head as he and Gloria walked back to and then sat down on their thrones. Mack was still in shock.

"He followed me here, too…" said Mack to himself with great fear, "When am I ever going to be rid of that… that thing?!"

"Who followed you, Mack?" asked Aura tenderly as she wrapped her right arm around her mate, holding him close and trying to comfort him. Mack trembled as he leaned against Aura, feeling relieved from her touch.

"Now you all know what happened and have all the knowledge that is known of the Black Pendant," said Glacian, "That evil relic is still on the loose, however and must be found!"

"How can we manage such a thing, your Excellency?" asked Wallace as he bowed towards his king and queen with respect, "The Black Pendant could be anywhere and may already have snagged its next wearer." Glacian nodded.

"You are right, my friend," said Glacian with a heavy sigh, "All we can really do is wait for the pendant to make itself known, then we will have one heck of a fight on our hands." Mack glanced back at the dark corner where Simon had been standing moments ago, but he had vanished without a trace.

"However, we do have someone in our presence who seems to know of Shadow Mack," said Gloria, "Mack, what do you know of him?" Mack bowed his head sighed with despair.

"Can I please just go home for now?" asked Mack with grief. The king and queen could tell that Mack was deeply disturbed by what he had just witnessed.

"As you wish," said Glacian, "But know this: Gloria and I are quite aware that you know whoever is possessing the Black Pendant. When you are able, we ask that you tell us. In fact, I can gather this group together at another date for just that."

"Thank you, Glacian," said Mack with relief as Glacian turned his attention towards K-1.

"Have you uncovered anything else of interest in the old archives?" asked Glacian.

"I have found very little information besides a horde of birth, marriage and death records in Olympus, such as one note I found for Cyrus and Alexi," replied K-1, "They were found dead just outside the door to the sealed archives, lying side by side. Cyrus was still holding onto Alexi's right hand with his left hand. They were buried together a week later in the tombs. The records also say Cyrus lived to be 305 years old, while Alexi lived a total of 303 years. Magus and his mate both died at the age of 297."

"How could Cyrus and Alexi have died at the same time?" asked a confused Mack.

"Let's just say it's a kind fact of nature," said Glacian, "So when a couple gets to live out all their years together, they both naturally die at the same time as to not have to go years without their loving, lifelong mates."

"I can understand that," said Mack. Glacian smiled and nodded at Mack as he and Gloria stood up from their thrones and addressed their guests once again.

"I declare this meeting to be over. You may speak with others concerning what we witnessed here this evening," declared Glacian, "I pray you all have a pleasant night." Within minutes, the Gardevoirs and Gallades bid the king and queen farewell and were on their way back to their homes for the night.


	14. Section 14

The Village Guardians

**-58-**

Aura was smiling and leaning against Mack's left side with her right arm wrapped around her beloved mate.

"So, you know who this 'Shadow Mack' character is, don't you?" asked Aura quietly and with a gentle voice. Mack nodded his head as he and Aura walked down the quiet marble streets of the city.

"I'll just start from the beginning," said Mack, "Are you in the mood for a story?" Aura smiled and nodded her head excitedly.

"It's going to take us another half an hour to walk to the front gates of the city," said Aura cheerfully, "I would love to hear a story. After all, you haven't told me anything about your previous adventures." Mack chuckled warmly.

"You're right, my love," said Mack as he put his left arm around his wife. Aura was enjoying the soft rustling from her and Mack's beautiful wedding dresses.

"It all started when I created the very device that would allow people to travel to other dimensions and even through time," explained Mack, "Without a better choice for a name, I simply called it an Infinity Drive. Anyway, K-1 and I were going to take a test flight in the S-4 and test out the Infinity Drive. Everything was working properly and, for our first destination, we decided to visit a sub-dimension of my home world."

"A sub-dimension…" said Aura, "You define it as a parallel universe in which you deal with the same people as your home world, but under very different circumstances."

"Correct as usual, my princess," said Mack sweetly, "Anyway, K-1 and I flew into orbit and activated the Infinity Drive. After a bright flash, we found ourselves flying down an endless tunnel of light. You see Aura, the Infinity Drive works by assigning a code number to a given world. For example, my home world registers as #77742771374. As an example for a sub dimension, you would insert a dash and then another number. In theory, if you wanted to visit my home world and have Pokémon be present, you would enter #77742771374-150."

"Which parallel universe did you visit first?" asked Aura.

"I went to #77742771374-13. I've never been superstitious or afraid of the number 13. Nevertheless, K-1 and I soon arrived at our destination. We left the tunnel of light with another blinding flash and found ourselves flying in orbit over the earth, only the ground was completely obscured by smoke," said Mack, "As you can imagine, K-1 and I could not imagine why the earth was in such bad shape. Anyway, we landed the _Firefox_ not far from where my home stood in my home dimension: the entire city I called home was in ruins in this world. The skies were black and gray and we could find no signs of life whatsoever in a fifty mile radius."

"There weren't even any plants or insects?" asked Aura.

"There was nothing living. Only dirt, ashes, cracked roads and ruined buildings as far s the eye could see," answered Mack, "To make matters all the better, I eventually found out who was responsible for all the destruction and lifelessness of the world: me. An alternate version of myself, just like me, only with jet-black fur, evil and merciless had practically destroyed everything that lived."

"How did you find all this out?" asked Aura with shock.

"Alternate versions of many of my friends had survived. They wouldn't tell me anything about how all the destruction had happened and they almost killed me and K-1, thinking we were the enemy," replied Mack, "A demonstration of my powers silenced their disbelief and they then told me what had happened. I then decided to put and end to their misery and go confront my dark self. Of course, I did not leave my home unarmed. I brought along the latest prototype of my battle armor, the S-100C. Armed to the teeth, I stormed his stronghold, cut down hordes of his powerful combat robots and confronted him."

"What happened next?" asked Aura.

"I found him in the main control room for his entire facility and all of his robotic empire," said Mack, continuing his story, "I can't imagine what he was hoping to achieve, but from all the old skeletons I'd seen leading up to his…fortress, I knew he had to be stopped. When I found him, he was donning a set of robotic battle armor, just like mine, down to all the weapons and defense systems. Besides the difference in personalities, he also had control over the direct opposites of my powers. I can use light and psychic abilities while his powers were darkness and the destructive cosmic energy I've classified as Star. Toe to toe, we were equals in combat and could not easily overpower each other."

"How did you win?" asked Aura.

"I think there is one major reason why I managed to defeat him," answered Mack with a twinkle in his eye, "My counterpart only thought I and the survivors of his relentless attacks were just standing in his way and needed to be exterminated. I, on the other hand, was going to fight for the few people who had survived, to give them a chance to continue their lives and give them even just a glimmer of hope. I don't know how long our battle raged, but in the end, I put my plasma claws through his weakened, armored hull and right through his heart. He dropped to the ground, dead, or so I thought. Somehow, he had prepared for just such an event where he would be killed and he would be able to carry on. I don't know how he did it, but his spirit, consumed with anger and hatred, continued on. Surprisingly, his power had grown considerably after death. I watched as the black cloud of his dark spirit created a small portal and then slipped into it, leaving without a trace. I thought I'd seen the last of him, but every time I would travel to another world, Shadow Mack would be right behind me, still trying to destroy me."

"How come you've been traveling so long?" asked a bewildered Aura, "I think you would have been home by now."

"That's just it," replied Mack, "Someone sabotaged the _Firefox_ before K-1 and I left. Whoever did it was either a master or very lucky, because I have yet to find what keeps causing the Infinity Drive to malfunction and overheat every time K-1 and I have tried to use it to get home."

"You haven't been able to make another one of those machines either, have you?" asked Aura.

"The materials came from other parts of the galaxy in my home dimension. Considering how long it would take to track down suitable materials and parts, the best way really has been to repair and keep trying to find the problem," replied Mack, "K-1 and Central have been working on the problem for several thousand years, but with no progress. They also suspect that the _Firefox_ and the Infinity Drive are not going to last much longer without extensive repairs, many of which are impossible without the equipment back at my lab in my home dimension."

"You've beaten Shadow Mack at every turn, though, haven't you?" asked Aura. Mack frowned.

"He's been getting better and the last time we met he nearly destroyed me," replied Mack, "I can only hope that when we meet again I'll be able to emerge victorious once again."

"I think you'll do fine," said Aura sweetly as she held Mack close and tightly, "After all, you're not on your own anymore, honey. You have me, my family and before long, you will have children who are not going to let that evil monster harm you." Mack stopped walking and wrapped his arms around Aura.

"Thank you, my princess," whispered Mack tenderly. Aura giggled and blushed as she embraced her husband.

"Anything for my prince," said Aura sweetly as she smiled, "Say, my prince, can we wear our wedding attire to bed tonight?"

"Of course," said Mack with affection into Aura's left ear, "Just for you, my love." Before long, Mack and Aura had left Olympus and had taken to the skies, back to the village of Gardev. The threat of Shadow Mack now seemed so far away and so insignificant to Mack, though he knew it was only a matter of time until the shadow of his arch nemesis would again reappear.

**-59-**

Anna was ecstatic and overjoyed for today was the last day she had to be a servant in the palace. Tomorrow, Simon would finally begin the last of her training and Anna could only imagine what the old Kabutops had in store for her. Still, the young Gardevoir had one last day to get through. Between the long days of cleaning, cooking and doing whatever she was told, Anna certainly had learned patience and control of her emotions. Still, the one task she had really enjoyed over the last two months was serving as the queen's attendant. Her job: helping the queen get into her wedding attire in the morning before breakfast and then helping the queen get back into her simple Gardevoir gown and pants before bed. Anna relished this as she was one of only a few who ever got to even touch Gloria's fabulous wedding dress and jewelry. As had been the case for months in the mornings, Gloria was standing behind a dressing screen, taking off her normal gown, pants and undergarments as Anna happily got the queen's fabulous dress, jewelry and her beautiful, golden, jewel-encrusted crown laid out. Anna waited patiently as Gloria hung her simple garments over the side of the dressing screen and then put on new undergarments. Anna took Gloria's clothes up in her arms and carefully folded them up right before putting them into a nearby laundry basket.

"I'm ready for my dress," said Gloria cheerfully. Anna giggled as she brought Gloria her sparkling, fluffy and quite heavy white, jewel-encrusted dress. Anna could only imagine what it was like to wear such a piece of clothing, especially a dress with such a full skirt and so many fluffy, soft and white petticoats underneath the skirt. More than once, the young Gardevoir could not resist running her hands over the soft, bejeweled dress or even reaching underneath the large skirt to feel the soft petticoats in her hands. Anna smiled as she held out the heavy dress and Gloria reached out from behind the dressing screen, tenderly taking the wedding dress off her great-great granddaughter's hands. Anna giggled as the dress and its petticoats rustled softly. Gloria laughed.

"Your really like my dress, don't you?" asked Gloria.

"Oh, yes I do!" said Anna with enthusiasm, "Glacian is so lucky to have you as his mate."

"Luck had nothing to do with it," giggled Gloria as she stepped into the soft dress and pulled it up her body, "It was meant to be. The good Lord made us for each other."

"I wish I had a dress as magnificent as yours," said Anna with a blissful sigh. Gloria smiled as she slipped her arms into the soft, sparkling, long and puffed sleeves of the dress.

"You're going to be married this summer," said a delighted Gloria as she stepped out from behind the white dressing screen, "Your dress won't be as glorious as mine, but don't you worry, you're still going to be one of the most beautiful brides in all of Olympus." Gloria turned around, putting her back to Anna. The young Gardevoir smiled as she came up behind the queen. Gloria had a bright smile on her face as Anna helped thread her majestic wings through a pair of slits on the upper back of the bodice. Next, Gloria stood patiently as Anna laced up the dress. Anna loved the feel of the smooth, soft laces and only hoped her own wedding dress would have them as well.

"There we go!" declared Anna happily as she tied off the laces in a bow and secured a pair of buttons on the decorated collar of the queen's dress.

"You've gotten very good at this," said Gloria, "Why, my regular attendant could lace and button my dress with her eyes closed and one hand behind her back."

"That's not hard," said Anna as she smirked at the queen.

"And, without using any of her psychic powers," said Gloria as a grin spread across her face. Anna laughed.

"Okay, now that would be some trick," said Anna, laughing as she knelt before Gloria. Anna reached up and grabbed onto Gloria's golden anklets, covered with diamonds. Anna smiled as she then lifted up Gloria's skirt just enough to see her ankles. Gloria waited patiently as Anna clipped the anklets in place and then helped her step into a pair of white satin slippers. Anna released Gloria's skirt, stood up and then grabbed the rest of Gloria's jewelry in one hand. Gloria only had to wait a few more minutes before Anna had properly placed and secured her gold earrings and bracelets, both covered with diamonds as well. Anna grinned as she picked Gloria's crown off a red velvet pillow and plopped it onto her own head.

"All hail Queen Anna!" said Anna jokingly. Gloria was not nearly as amused as her great-great granddaughter. Still, the queen's frown soon became warm laughter.

"Since this is your last day as my attendant, I can let that slide," said Gloria, smiling at Anna, "Still, you do remember that only the queen may ever wear the crown."

"I know," giggled Anna, "I'm sorry." Gloria giggled as well as she sat down on a nearby chair. Anna, still wearing the crown, walked behind Gloria with the queen's gold and diamond tiara as well as the long, flowing lace veil. Gloria closed her eyes and smiled as Anna tenderly pushed the tiara into her soft, green hair. Next, Anna clipped the lace veil into the tiara.

"May I have my crown back now?" asked a grinning Gloria.

"Never! Olympus will be mine!" said Anna with a mischievous smile on her face.

"You realize this is an act of war!" said Gloria.

"I will rule the world!" shouted Anna as she knelt before Gloria, "Of course, only with the queen's permission."

"Sorry, but your petition to rule the world has been denied," said Gloria, "Now, please return my crown."

"At once, milady," said Anna as she offered a curtsey and then walked behind Gloria as she sat in her red, velvet chair. Gloria laughed as Anna placed the crown behind the tiara and onto her head. Gloria rose from the chair and faced Anna.

"Thank you, Anna," said Gloria with a grateful voice, "You may now take leave of me and enjoy the rest of the day relaxing."

"Oh?" asked Anna, "But I thought I had one last day of being a servant in the palace."

"Not so," said Gloria, "Glacian and I had a word with Simon and he agreed that you should spend the day resting and preparing for the last phase of your training, which will begin tomorrow."

"That's so nice of you. Thank you," said Anna with joy.

"However, you will have one last task today," said Gloria, "This evening, you will have to help me get undressed and back into my simple attire before bed."

"I have to do that?" said Anna with bliss, "I love getting to help you get into and out of your wedding attire."

"Keep that in mind then, my daughter," said Gloria, "You'll be helping your husband into his wedding attire on special days once you and him are married."

"I can't wait until my wedding day," said Anna with delight as she twirled on her tiptoes. During her training, Enrique was always on her mind, reminding her why she was enduring all the hardship Simon had placed on her over the last several months.

"Do you want to join me and Glacian for breakfast?" asked Gloria, "We would love your company." Anna bowed politely.

"I accept her highness's invitation and would be honored to dine with you," said Anna. Gloria erupted with laughter once again.

"You don't have to be so formal," laughed Gloria, "We're family after all and you're still a princess!" Anna shrugged.

"I'm still a servant for one more day," said Anna.

"Nevertheless, you're going to need something more grand to wear at breakfast," said Gloria, "Anyone who dines with the King and Queen always wears their best clothes."

"I don't have anything else," said Anna, "I'm not married yet, so I don't have a nice wedding dress to wear."

"So I see," said Gloria as she walked to a nearby closet and threw open the door, digging through her clothes as Anna watched and waited patiently, "I may have just the thing." Gloria pulled out what appeared to be another wedding dress. It was simple compared to Gloria's, but still had long, puffed sleeves, embroidery on the sleeves, bodice and skirt and also sparkled and shimmered brightly in the light. It also had a full skirt with several layers of soft petticoats underneath.

"I can wear that?" asked Anna with growing excitement.

"Yes, you may," replied Gloria, "It was made as a backup incase my usual dress had to be repaired or thoroughly cleaned." Gloria smiled as she put the soft dress in Anna's arms.

"Thank you so much, Gloria!" said Anna with great happiness as she ran behind the dressing screen and quickly took off her usual, plain clothes, "Gloria, may I ask you a question?"

"Go ahead," said Gloria, "What do you wish to know?"

"How come Glacian always referred to himself as the head elder and all his advisors as elders until now?" asked Anna as she pulled the dress up her body.

"Good thing breakfast isn't served for another half an hour," giggled Gloria, "I'll be happy to tell you."

"I also need to ask you a favor…" said an embarrassed Anna, "Would you please cut a pair of slits into the dress for my wings?" Gloria laughed warmly and nodded her head as she made her way to the nightstand on her husband's side of the large bed. Anna heard the drawer open and close quickly and then the pleasant rustling of her dress as the queen walked back to the dressing screen with an ornate dagger in her hands. Anna walked out from behind the screen hesitantly with the back of her dress still open. Gloria just smiled as she walked behind Anna, unsheathed the dagger, made a few quick cuts into the dress and then put the decorated weapon back into its golden sheath.

"Thank you," said Anna, "I don't know what I would have done if I couldn't get my wings to fit properly with this dress." Gloria just smiled as she helped Anna thread her wings through the bodice and then tenderly laced up the dress. The queen tied the laces into a bow and then took care of a few buttons on the embroidered collar.

"You're very welcome," said Gloria, "Now then, how about you pick some of my jewelry to wear while I answer your question."

"I can wear some of your jewelry, too?!" exclaimed Anna. Gloria smiled at the young Gardevoir and nodded her head. Without another word, Anna started digging through the queen's vanity.

"Now then…" said Gloria as she sat back down in her red, velvet chair, "…Back when Glacian was named the King of Olympus, he was still getting over my supposed death. You know the king always wears his wedding attire in public, right? Well, he just couldn't do it without more heartache, so he made a proclamation: as long as he served as the leader of Olympus he would be known as the head elder and his advisors would be called elders. The idea made much sense and his advisors understood. There was one other request my husband made and it was that the elders no longer appeared before him their mates during meetings and ceremonies, such as weddings and the appointing of new members of the Elite Guard." Anna nodded as she clipped on a pair of simple gold bracelets and earrings.

"What is he going to do now?" asked Anna as she sat down at the vanity and put on a pair of Gloria's white slippers.

"My husband is going to make a new edict," replied Gloria, "Not only will he and the advisors regain their original titles, but our advisors' wives will get to return to their rightful positions: at the side of their mates."

"I'd say that is wonderful news," said Anna as she stood up from the vanity, wearing some of Gloria's simple, gold jewelry.

"I agree," said Gloria, smiling as she looked Anna over, "And I'd say you're all set to join me and Glacian for breakfast." Before long, Anna was walking side by side with Gloria down the massive, white marble hallways of the palace.

"So, what are we having for breakfast?" asked Anna.

"The chefs have prepared something special for us today," replied Gloria, "I believe the menu includes fresh crepes, apples, oranges and bananas. With freshly-churned butter, blackberry and strawberry jam for the crepes."

"Wow! That all sounds wonderful!" said Anna glee.

"You think that's wonderful, wait until you get a look at your wedding dress. Angel was at the palace not too long ago to show us what she had made for you and Enrique," said a happy Gloria, "I won't say anything else about it. Besides, your bridal shower is only a few months away." Anna smiled and blushed as she continued her walk down the corridor with Gloria. Enrique was never far from her thoughts and the day they would be joined together for the rest of their lives was getting ever close.


	15. Section 15

The Village Guardians

**-60-**

Though they had been together only a few months, Angel now felt like she finally, really knew her parents. For the last few months, all they did was stay together, talk and trade stories of what had happened during the years they had spent apart.

"So, Cipher managed to capture your master, Mr. Allens?" asked Angel with shock.

"He's not really our master," said a cheerful Karen, "Though he legally owns us, we are his best friends and protectors. Most importantly, he has us call him by his first name. He practically treats us as his equals."

"He's been so nice to us," said Andrew, "If it wasn't for his kind and caring nature, we surely would have lost all hope. After all, John has no heir and he distances himself from much of his family. So far, the only members of the Allens family he's spoken to are Warren, Jake and his wife Makoto as well as their little daughter, Sakura."

"Wait till Ramirez hears about this," said Angel, smiling a she sat between her parents on a soft, burgundy-colored couch, "I don't think he or any of the Guardians know that John and Warren are actually related."

"Anyway, back to our story," said Andrew as he leaned back on the couch, "From what we knew, Cipher had captured our friend, John and had taken him somewhere deep under the city. We were too afraid to go rescue him for fear of capture and we especially did not want to fall into the hands of Cyan Drake, the Cipher admin who was in command of the underground facilities here in Alakaz."

"What did you do then?" asked Angel with curiosity.

"We hid here, in John's penthouse office. The human who impersonated John, fortunately, did not have the keycard to get to the top floor of this building, where we and John live," continued Andrew, "We stayed safe here and waited for several days. Then, John came up here in a hurry, saying the Guardians of Gardev had come to save him and the citizens of Alakaz."

"We remember seeing the Guardians in battle at the Alakaz Open Tournament a few years ago," said Karen with delight, "They were so beautiful in the most wonderful wedding dresses I had ever seen." Karen put her left arm around Angel and giggled.

"You've made us so proud, now that we know what you've been doing over the last several years," said Andrew happily.

"Our daughter is going to be such a beautiful bride," said Karen as she held her beloved daughter close, "And I'm going to get to help her get dressed on her wedding day!"

"And I get to walk you down the aisle," said Andrew with a content smile, "I'm so glad I Karen and I haven't missed one of the most important moments for a young Gardevoir."

"I'm actually looking forward to my wedding day," giggled Angel as she blushed deeply once again, "I wonder why I can't stop thinking about Ramirez." Andrew and Karen smiled at each other.

"You can bet that you're always not far from Ramirez's thoughts, too," said Andrew as the elevator door at the entrance of the huge apartment hissed open. John smiled as a pair of winged Gardevoirs followed him into the spacious living room. Andrew and Karen were shocked when they saw the ornate, sparkling pendants around the two Gardevoirs' necks.

"It's the Guardians of Gardev!" said Karen with sheer joy.

"Guardians," said Andrew as he bowed politely towards Mack and Aura, "What brings you here?"

"First, I think we should be more properly introduced," said Mack with a friendly smile as he stepped forward and held out his right hand, "My name is Mack."

"I'm Aura," said Aura cheerfully, "We are the Guardians of Gardev. Now, who are you?"

"I'm Andrew," said Andrew as he stood back up, smiling as he put his left arm around Karen, "And this lovely creature is my mate, Karen." Karen smiled and nodded her head.

"Nice to meet you both," said a delighted Karen.

"Now, to business," said Aura as she glanced at Mack.

"Indeed, Aura," said Mack as he faced the older Gardevoir couple, "Ramirez sends his regards and requested that Aura and I take you to Gardev to meet his parents and for dinner. Angel, you are more than welcome to come as well because Ramirez has something important to tell you."

"I accept the invitation," said Andrew with a smile and a nod.

"I would be honored to come with you!" said Karen with glee.

"If Ramirez wants me to be there, than so it shall be," said Angel with excitement.

"May we go, John?" asked Andrew. John smiled and nodded his head at his Gardevoir friends.

"Of course you may go," said John happily, "I wouldn't want you to miss an evening with Angel's mate to be and his parents."

"How about you come with us?" asked Mack.

"I must respectfully decline," said John, "I have important matters to take care of and that includes getting my will written." Mack nodded his head with understanding.

"Not a problem at all," said Mack as he faced Andrew, Karen and Angel, "We'd better get going now. Dinner will be ready in about two hours." With that, the five Gardevoirs made their way down the elevator and were soon walking through the lobby of John's hotel. To say the least, Bobby was surprised to see the five Gardevoirs walk nonchalantly out of the hotel.

"So," said Mack as he led his guests to a waiting S-1 Aircar, "John is working on his will?"

"Yes," replied Andrew, "He wants to make sure his assets get to the right people and that no one fights over my wife and me. You can bet that there are a lot of people in the Allens family who would love to have a mated pair of off-color Gardevoirs in their possession. So, when John passes away, Karen and I will be bequeathed to Jake, Warren's grandson."

"That's a great idea," said Aura with a cheerful voice.

"Yes, especially since John is a lot older than he looks," remarked Karen. Mack glanced over his left shoulder at Karen.

"Is that so?" said a curious Mack, "How old is he?"

"He's Warren's oldest brother," replied Andrew, "He'll be celebrating his 85th birthday this summer."

"Isn't Warren 78?" asked Mack. Aura smiled and nodded.

"One thing Glacian taught me is how the members of the Allen's family tend to live very long lives," explained Aura, "I'm hoping he'll still be alive during the Gardev Millennial." The five Gardevoirs climbed into the Aircar and before long, they were on their way to the village of Gardev.

**-61-**

To say the least, Agatha was delighted. Not only was she about to make one fancy meal but there would be several guests who had never tried her cooking.

"Those Gardevoirs won't know what hit them once they have a taste of this prime rib," thought Agatha as a grin spread across her face, "Warren is sure to love this as well." Agatha walked out of the large kitchen of the mansion on her way to get some fresh air. She thought she was alone at this end of the immense mansion, but this was certainly not the case. Two intruders were stealthily approaching the profession-grade kitchen and prime rib was not on their menu.

"Okay," said Gremlin as he crawled on the floor behind William, "All we have to do is get our hands on one of those fresh pies and we'll be eating like kings all evening." William chuckled as he reached out with his front, right paw to carefully and quietly open the main kitchen door. The silvery, stainless steel stoves, refrigerators, freezers and the smell of coconut and banana cream pies were all that greeted them. Gremlin slid into the kitchen, pressed his right ear against one of the oven doors and sniffed at the air.

"Smells like one very good roast," said Gremlin quietly and with glee as he heard the prime rib sizzling in the oven.

"I could have told you that from back here," whispered William as he smelled the air, "My nose is much more sensitive than yours." Gremlin said nothing as he looked around the kitchen. From where he stood, he could not locate the pies and the fact that he was so short was proving to be a considerable problem, especially with so many high countertops and no shortage of such things in the massive kitchen.

"This is not going to be as easy as I thought," thought Gremlin with a scowl. Meanwhile, Mack, Aura, Andrew, Karen and Angel had arrived back in Gardev not long ago and were on their way into the dining room of Warren's mansion.

"Will anyone else be joining us for dinner?" asked Andrew.

"As a matter of fact, yes," replied Mack with a friendly voice, "King Glacian and Queen Gloria will be dining with us as well as Wallace and his wife, Jean."

"You mean…" said Karen with her eyes wide open and with immense excitement, "…Andrew and I are going to meet the Gallade and Gardevoir who took Angel in as their own daughter?"

"Yes, you will," said Aura cheerfully, "Wallace and Jean have wanted to meet you for quite some time."

"Oh, and then there's the gift from Angel," said Mack as a grin spread across his face. Andrew glanced at his daughter.

"So, what have you got for us, Angel?" asked Andrew. Angel giggled and smiled at her father.

"You'll find out soon enough," said Angel, knowing very well that her mother and father were going to love what she had made for them. As the Gardevoirs walked leisurely down the large hallways of the mansion, William and Gremlin were still dead set on having a very early desert. William sat on the white-tiled floor with his yellow tail twitching nervously, watching Gremlin as he climbed up a set of four drawers. The sneaky Sableye had pulled them out, one after another in just the right manner to create a sufficient, yet unstable set of stairs. Gremlin moved slowly, trying to be as quiet as possible.

"You're doing great," whispered William with glee, "Can you see anything up there?" Gremlin had just scaled the third drawer and was climbing into the fourth and final drawer.

"I can't see much else, but the smell is getting stronger," replied Gremlin with a quiet, yet eager tone of voice as he licked his lips, "This is such a great idea."

"Only I could have come up with something like this," said William with a big grin of his face.

"And that is what's really starting to worry me," said an uneasy Gremlin. William tended to always end up in trouble whenever he had a hair-brained idea like this. Still, to Gremlin, the prospects of sinking his teeth into a fresh-baked pie were still very alluring. He now had his feet in the last drawer and was climbing up with his right foot now on the countertop.

"Keep it up!" whispered William with growing excitement. Gremlin was not so sure; nevertheless, he continued on slowly and carefully. One wrong move and he would cause all the utensils in the drawer to rattle and clank together. Suddenly, William's ears perked up as he heard some footsteps, slowly on approach to the kitchen. William glanced up at Gremlin.

"Gremlin! Incoming!" warned William, whispering loudly.

"You go find a place to hide," said Gremlin, "I'll be just fine here." William watched as Gremlin held still and quickly disappeared from sight.

"Wish I could turn invisible, too," thought William as he scurried across the smooth, cold floor with haste. He jumped into a nearby pantry and closed the door just as the main door of the kitchen opened with a loud whoosh! William shook with fear: the last time he had tried to sneak into the kitchen to grab a few brownies, Agatha had caught him and beaned him good with a very large and very heavy frying pan. The scared Pikachu cowered into the back, left corner of the pantry.

"What's this?" asked Agatha to herself when she saw the four drawers opened up; "Was someone trying to make a small set of stairs?" Gremlin and William gulped, figuring they had been found out once again.

"Maybe I forgot to close them," said Agatha to herself again as she closed the drawers one at a time, starting with the bottom one. Gremlin held still, hoping he could still avoid detection, but he knew he was in trouble.

"Here we go…" said Agatha as she gripped the drawer's bronze handle with her right hand and swiftly slammed it shut. Gremlin gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, trying not to scream from the horrid pain. Agatha, on the other hand, was puzzled to why the drawer had not closed properly. She pulled back and slammed the drawer shut several more times. As for Gremlin, not only did he have to remain quiet, now he also had to try and keep balance on a single, throbbing foot. Agatha growled and pulled the drawer back as far as it would go, just as Gremlin finally remembered one of his abilities.

"What am I doing?! I can phase through anything and it doesn't take much concentration or power!" thought Gremlin, wondering why on earth he had not thought of this sooner. He became incorporeal at will and just in time, too, as Agatha slammed the drawer as hard as she could. Warren had heard the sound clear up in his office. He looked up from a stack of paperwork.

"What the devil is she doing down there this time?" thought Warren. He shrugged his shoulders and returned his gaze to the small mountain of documents on his desk.

"Well, who am I to judge one of the best chefs in the entire Gardev region?" thought Warren, "I can only imagine what kind of crazy things they teach you in culinary school." Meanwhile, back in the kitchen Agatha smiled.

"Take that, you stubborn piece of particle board!" declared Agatha with triumph, "You can never defeat me!"

"What is this lady on?" thought William as Agatha walked out of the kitchen, erupting with mad laughter. As soon as William could hear the crazed chef's footsteps no longer, he emerged from the pantry and hurriedly ran to the drawers where Gremlin had been trapped. The Pikachu had no idea how or why Gremlin had not been discovered. He looked up at the counter as the cringing Sableye faded back into view. He was kneeling on the countertop, nursing his throbbing ankle.

"Confound that blasted woman!" said Gremlin with burning anger, "She's just begging for us to steal those pies!"

"Speaking of which, are you gonna grab some or what?" asked William with growing impatience. Gremlin growled angrily.

"Give me a moment, you stupid rat!" snapped Gremlin, "You wouldn't be so happy either if you had just gotten your foot smashed over and over again! Besides, I can't see any pies on this or any of the counters!"

"There are no pies on any of the counters?" asked a very surprised William, "Sheesh…Agatha's learning very quickly…" Gremlin was not pleased either, not just because the pies were nowhere to be found, but William seemed to not be concerned in the least about his painful injury. Gremlin was about to grab the nearby toaster oven and drop it on the irritating Pikachu's head, when he looked up and saw the very edges of four pie pans, nestled into the small gap above the cupboards.

"I think I've hit pay dirt!" declared Gremlin with great happiness, "The pies are up above the cupboards!"

"Really? Yay!" shouted William, "Say, is your ankle alright?" Gremlin smiled: it seemed William was concerned about him after all. The grinning Sableye looked over the counter's edge.

"I think I can reach them, too," said Gremlin as he leapt up and grabbed onto a small ledge right below the base of the cupboards. William took several steps back and watched as Gremlin slowly but surely made his way up the cupboards. The going was slow and the smooth wood of the cupboards was very slippery. On top of that, several frying pans and large pots were hanging on hooks to the right of the cupboards, not far from where Gremlin was trying to climb his way up to his goal. William walked up next to the cupboards, keeping a close eye on the main kitchen door. Gremlin cackled to himself: the pies were so close and the smell was wonderful, to say the least. He knew he and William needed to move quickly for dinner would start in a little less than 45 minutes. As the two Pokémon burglars continued their quest, Mack and Aura were getting ready for dinner. Mack's thoughts were on Xavier. His powerful Lugia had left Gardev several months ago in a search for a mate and had not come back yet. Mack then remembered the dinner and one important detail: all the married dinner guests would be wearing their wedding attire as it was a custom for married couples to be in their best clothes when dinning with the king and queen. Aura let out a loud sigh of relief.

"Is something bothering you, my love?" asked Mack tenderly.

"No. Nothing is wrong," replied Aura as she smiled at her mate. The last few days had been some of the worst Aura could remember. Glacian and Gloria had been talking about having dinner with Angel's parents. Aura had been very afraid, due to the custom of mated Gardevoir pairs always being in their wedding dresses and jewelry whenever they dinned with royalty. When Aura explained the situation to Angel, the experienced seamstress only laughed, saying that completing the wedding dresses would be a great challenge. From what Aura could gather, Angel rarely ever had a serious challenge on her hands. Just this morning, while Mack was still asleep, Angel had come by with the new wedding dresses. It took everything Aura had to not burst out laughing with sheer delight when she got a look at her new, glamorous dress. Before her mate had awakened, Aura had put the wedding dresses back in their appropriate closets, gave Angel back the other dresses and had climbed back into bed. This had awakened Mack, but when he opened his eyes, all he saw was Aura's face. She was smiling and stroking Mack's right side affectionately. Mack only smiled as he wrapped his right arm around her and closed his eyes. Before long, Mack was back in a deep, blissful sleep and suspected nothing. Now the trap was almost set, but Aura still needed one last diversion to make sure Mack would not see his new wedding dress until the right moment. Mack was reaching for his closet when Aura came up behind her mate and tightly embraced him.

"Oh!" said Mack with delight as Aura pulled him back, "Did you want something, my princess?"

"Mack, I'm feeling rather faint," said Aura sweetly, "Would you please get me some orange juice from the kitchen?" Aura wasn't lying either: she was feeling faint, even if it was just from the building excitement.

"I'll be happy to get you some juice, my love," replied Mack with a bright smile as he turned around and quickly kissed Aura on her lips, "I'll be right back." Aura watched closely, smiling as Mack left the room and closed the door behind him. She listened carefully and giggled softly as her mate's footsteps became softer and softer. Now was the time to strike. She ran to her closet in great haste, threw open the door and smiled as she gazed upon her new wedding dress with sheer delight and wonder.

"I really don't think the word 'Master' is grand enough to describe Angel's talent," thought Aura with immense joy as she pulled her new wedding dress off its hanger, "Oh, Mack is going to love this!" Back in the kitchen, success seemed imminent for the thieving rat and ghost. Gremlin was now standing on the top of the cupboards and the pies were in his reach.

"You ready down there?" asked Gremlin, "I'm going to throw down one of the pies and you will have to catch it, okay?"

"All set down here," said William quietly. Gremlin licked his lips with glee: sweet success was at hand. He took one step forward, but before he could get his hands on a vanilla custard pie with a crisp, flaky crust, his left foot slipped on the well-polished, dark oak of the cupboards. William watched with terror as Gremlin flailed his arms madly, desperately trying to regain his balance, but to no avail. Gremlin screamed as he fell backwards off the cupboards. His flailing arms hit the largest of the frying pans, knocking it clean off the hook. William had no time to react, nor did Gremlin as he landed right into the large, stainless steel sink below. William stood still, shocked as the pan came his way, landing flat side down right on his tail. The frightened Pikachu screamed as lightning lanced about the kitchen. Gremlin peeked out of the sink, keeping his head low as William's erratic electricity filled the room.

"We're so dead," thought Gremlin with dread as the lights in the entire mansion flickered on and off.

"Now what's going on?" thought Warren with growing impatience, "Electrical failure can't be a part of cooking!" He jumped off his leather office chair and bolted for the door. He threw the door open and met Agatha face to face.

"Warren! What's going on here?" asked Agatha with fright.

"I was just about to ask you the same thing," replied a very perplexed Warren. Mack was not far from one of the entryway doors of the large kitchen when he heard William's scream of pain. He could hear the crackling of the Pikachu's powerful electricity and hesitated to enter the kitchen.

"What has he done this time?" thought Mack as the lights in the mansion continued to flicker on and off. Aura, on the other hand, was overjoyed. She knew the unexpected power fluctuations would keep Mack busy for quite awhile and give her more time to prepare. Now, she could slow down and relish the moment as she stepped into her gorgeous, new wedding dress for the first time.

"I couldn't have planned a better diversion myself," thought Aura happily as she pulled the soft, yet heavy dress up her body. She hummed the wedding march to herself, smiling as she slid her arms into the long, decorated puffed sleeves. All while the lights in the bathroom continued to flicker madly. Mack stood a few feet away from the kitchen door, biding his time. Moments later, Williams screaming and erratic burst of lightning stopped. Gremlin jumped out of the sink and carefully lifted the heavy frying pan off the crying rodent's tail.

"Are you alright?" asked Gremlin softly. William had tears streaming down his face, but he nodded his head.

"I don't think it's broken," said William as he dried his eyes. The Pikachu lifted his tail back into its upward position and slowly moved the yellow, lighting bolt-shaped appendage back and forth a few times.

"Good to see you're alright," said Gremlin, "Come on, William; we'd better get out of here." As William got back onto his feet, he and Gremlin heard a strange "Sproing!" from behind. They both slowly turned around and saw the dishwasher, quaking violently as blue electricity arced around the stainless steel appliance. Mack wanted to bash down the door to confront William and any of his accomplices; however, something in the back of the Guardian's mind told him not to enter the kitchen just yet.

"I think we're in deep trouble…" said William fearfully as he and Gremlin took a few steps back from the psychotic appliance. Suddenly, the door of the dishwasher burst open: silverware went flying into the air while dozens of dishes shot out of the dishwasher much like a machinegun fires bullets. William and Gremlin fell to the ground, covering their heads with their hands as the lethal flatware flew by overhead at surprising speed. The fine china shattered off the floor and ceiling as forks, knives and spoons became imbedded in the counters and cupboards. The two scared Pokémon were about to run for their lives when a large, rogue casserole dish flew to the left and slammed into the top of one of the stainless steel shelves along the wall. William and Gremlin looked on with horror as the shelf teetered and then fell forward, colliding with another shelf. The twelve shelves fell forward like oversized dominoes, spilling their contents all over the floor, including a large jar of red pepper. William had had enough of this and started to run for the back door, but he could not outrun the red, malicious cloud of potent spices. Gremlin dove into the cupboards below the counters as William tightly held onto his nose, trying to avert a monstrous sneeze. Gremlin slowly closed the cupboards tight, taking one last look at William.

"Nice knowing you…" thought Gremlin as he closed his eyes and covered his ears. William huffed and he puffed and let out a monstrous sneeze, releasing more of his potent lighting into the kitchen. He rubbed his eyes and opened them just in time as the door to the nearby freezer blew open with a blast of frigid air. Gremlin opened the cupboard doors and saw that William had been frozen in place, encased in several inches of solid ice.

"Gadzooks! The coolant system in the freezer must have gone off!" thought Gremlin as he ran to William's side.

"Don't worry! I'll get you thawed!" said Gremlin as he extended his right hand, "Ember should do the trick." As Gremlin got ready to unleash his power, he could not hear the rush of gas from the stove. Somehow, the flames had gone out inside the oven and the explosive natural gas was filling the room. Gremlin was too busy to notice the foul odor filling the room. William could still see out of the ice. He turned his gaze to Gremlin and looked at the Sableye with pleading eyes as his sensitive ears could hear the flammable gas filling the entire kitchen. Mack jumped back, threw the massive dining room table on its side and cowered behind it: his powers of foresight had revealed yet another incoming and very unwanted surprise.

"Here we go!" shouted Gremlin as red, hot embers and fire flew from his right hand. William closed his eyes, figuring he would never dine on cakes, pies, ice cream or chocolate ever again. Mack reflexively covered his ears and closed his eyes as a loud explosion rocked the entire mansion. Warren and Agatha dropped to the floor, as did all the other Gardevoirs and one Gallade. Even Aura fell to the floor with the soft and fluffy petticoats under her skirt cushioning her fall.

"That can't have been good," thought Aura. Mack peeked over the top of the massive, heavy table and turned his gaze towards the kitchen. The double-jointed door had been blown clean off its hinges and was now embedded several inches into the dark oak table. Smoke poured from the kitchen doorway. Mack turned around and looked out the windows: Jake was standing outside with a look of absolute shock on his face. He was holding the charred-black roast in his gloved hands. From what Mack could gather, the roast had been blasted clean out of the kitchen, had flown overhead and then met its demise at the hands of the large, now shattered dining room window. Glass littered the floor.

"Mack?" asked Jake, shaking uncontrollably, "Do you think this was another one of Agatha's…exotic recipes?" Mack turned his gaze back on the kitchen doorway. The smoke was dissipating, but Mack's eyes were glowing red with building anger as he stormed off towards the ruined kitchen.

"Just wait 'til I get my hands on you!" thought Mack, trying his best not to lose his temper. As the angered Guardian walked towards the kitchen, Gremlin was frantic. Not only had he and William annihilated the large, fancy kitchen, but Gremlin couldn't seem to find a very important item. William slowly opened his eyes. His fur was singed, but he was alright.

"What are you doing?" asked William with great fright, "Agatha or Mack could be on their way to the kitchen right now! We've got to get out of here!"

"After I find my eye! I'm not leaving without it!" shouted Gremlin. William gasped as he faced Gremlin: one of the Sableye's large, gemstone-like eyes was missing.

"Forget the eye! We've gotta bolt now or we're going to get caught!" yelled William. He could hear heavy footsteps, getting louder as someone approached the kitchen.

"No! I have to find my eye!" shouted Gremlin as he rifled through piles of dented cans, bent silverware, broken dishes and blackened pots and pans.

"Maybe you wouldn't have to search for your stupid eye now if you hadn't gone and blown us up!" said William with growing impatience and anger.

"Hey! How was I supposed to know that was a gas stove?!" shouted Gremlin as he clenched his fists. The soft "Ding!" from a bell in the shredded remains of the expensive stove rang, signaling that the roast was done.

"Well," said Gremlin sheepishly as he walked towards the pile of twisted metal, "Looks like that prime rib is finished now."

"We're gonna be done for too if we don't get on the move and right now!" said William frantically.

"Ah!" said Gremlin with triumph as he plucked his eye from the devastated stove, polished it quickly against his body and quickly put it back into his empty, right socket, "That should do the trick." William couldn't help but notice that Gremlin's loose, left eye had a large crack in it.

"How come your eye is cracked?" asked a curious William, "What happened?" Gremlin let out a heavy sigh.

"Let's just say that one shouldn't try to have a romantic relationship with a female Kirlia when she doesn't want anything to do with you and learned Mega Kick, courtesy of her trainer," grumbled Gremlin.

"Ouch…" said William.

"Ouch, indeed," growled Mack as he stepped into the kitchen. He surveyed the scene: the kitchen now looked more like a warzone, down the small, burning craters in the singed, tile floor. Dishes, dented pots, blackened pans and silverware were either broken or embedded in the walls, the ceiling, and the floor and even in the cupboards. A burning loaf of bread was among the luckiest of the remaining food; most of it had been reduced to charcoal. Even the refrigerator was on fire. Gremlin, with a nervous smile on his face, sheepishly picked up a fire extinguisher that had been knocked loose from the explosion. He walked around the burnt kitchen, putting out the last of the spot fires. At that very moment, Warren, Agatha Glacian and Gloria ran into the freshly-demolished kitchen. They were all in shock when they saw what was left of the decimated room.

"Glacian…" said a shocked Warren, "I think…I'm going to need…"

"It's not a problem," said an astonished Glacian as he patted Warren's back, "A few nuggets of gold should pay for all of this." Agatha was less relieved as she picked up a dented, blackened frying pan, gritting her teeth with rage.

"You little fools…" snarled Agatha as she stomped towards William and Gremlin, "You're going to pay for this mess with your hides!" Warren jumped forward and grabbed the frying pan out of the enraged chef's hands.

"Relax, Agatha," said Warren calmly, "I pay you to mash potatoes, not Pokémon. Besides, there is a backup kitchen."

"What about the food?" asked Mack, "Seems like almost all of it was reduced to rubble, Warren."

"Well, dinner can still continue," said Warren, "Agatha, how about you take the rest of the night off, unless you don't mind baking some frozen pizzas." Jake walked into the kitchen through the back door with the blackened roast in his hands, still stunned and in shock.

"Agatha… please don't tell my wife about this recipe," begged Jake, obviously in shock, as he dropped the large lump of burnt meat to the floor, "I don't get paid enough to be able to buy a new kitchen." Warren and the other Pokémon burst out laughing. Even Agatha was feeling better and was laughing up a storm.

"Well," said Mack as he stifled his laughter, "I better go check on Aura and the others."

"Where am I going to cook now?" asked Agatha as Mack left the room, "The backup kitchen is much smaller than this and does have a lot of equipment to work with." Warren just smiled at the accomplished chef.

"Just give me a few weeks any I'll have this place made up even better than before," said Warren with a cheerful voice as he handed Agatha a piece of paper and a pen, "You go ahead and write down every utensil, pot, pan and anything else you want. I'm sure the Guardians won't mind going to Alakaz for a day or two to do some shopping." Agatha smiled as she plucked the pen and paper from Warren's hands.

"You asked for it," said Agatha with a grin.

"If you'll please excuse us, Gloria and I need to get dressed for the evening," said a smiling Glacian politely as he led his mate out of the ruined kitchen: Gloria was still laughing. About five more minutes passed as Mack searched the mansion carefully, making sure everyone was alright and letting them know what had happened. The Gardevoirs and the Gallade couldn't help but laugh at Mack's story. Before heading back to his own bedroom, Mack checked on and then left Andrew, Karen and Angel, closing the door to their fancy guest suite.

"To think a single Pikachu and a Sableye could cause so much destruction in a matter of minutes!" laughed Andrew.

"Well, I just hope that pizza will be good," giggled Karen.

"From what Mack said, Warren spared no expense on a large supply of frozen pizza," said Andrew happily, "Good thing, too." Karen laughed as she looked in a mirror.

"I know, honey," said Karen happily, "Frozen pizza is your favorite food in the whole, wide world."

"You sure have some unusual tastes, Dad," giggled Angel.

"That's what I like about him," said Karen with delight, "He couldn't have been happier last year when I suggested we get fast food on our last wedding anniversary."

"What can I say?" said Andrew with warm laughter, "I'm a cheap date. Even John is still shocked that I don't like fancy food. Besides, berries, a little fast food and other such things really are all that I like."

"Well, you're both going to be dining with the King and Queen of Olympus," said Angel, "And I think now is a good time to give you your presents."

"That's right," said Andrew, "Mack did say something about you having gifts for Karen and me." Angel smiled as she walked over to the single, large closet in the small living room. She grabbed the bronze handle of the door.

"What I have in here is something special for you both to wear on holidays and other special days as a symbol of your marriage," said Angel, "And now, I present, a gift you, mother and father, you will surely enjoy for the rest of your lives!" Angel threw open the door: Andrew and Karen were stunned at what they saw.

"These… are for us…?" asked Karen with amazement. Angel smiled and nodded her head as she pulled a pair of wedding dresses on hangers out of the closet and held them out proudly in her hands. Both dresses were simple compared to those worn by the Olympus royal family, but they were still quite a sight. Both white dresses had very full, fluffy skirts with layers upon layers of soft, tulle petticoats underneath. Karen's dress had long, puffed sleeves while Andrew's dress had regular long sleeves. The sleeves, skirt, bodice and collar on each dress were covered with decorative embroidery. Finally, Karen's dress shimmered and sparkled brightly while Andrew's dress just shimmered in the light. A large, soft white bow accented the back of Karen's dress just above the waist line. White laces with bronze loops would provide closure on the bodices of both of the beautiful dresses.

"These dresses are more beautiful and fancy than anything most Gardevoirs and Gallades ever get," said Angel with pride, "Only the best for my mother and father."

"You made these, just for us?" asked a pleasantly surprised Andrew. Angel smiled and nodded.

"I also have two pairs of white slippers for you and for you, Mom," said Angel as she picked up a small wooden box from the coffee table in the room and held it out to Karen, "This jewelry is all yours, too." Karen laughed with delight as she gazed at her gold and diamond jewelry: a pair of anklet, bracelets, earrings and a gold necklace with 4 karat diamond, set in an ornate gold and silver pendant. All this was topped off with a silver tiara. Angel handed the jewelry box to her mother and then pulled a flowing lace veil from the closet.

"It's all so beautiful!" said Karen with glee as she ran up and embraced her daughter, "Thank you so much, Angel." Angel smiled as a few tears of joy streamed down her face.

"Yes, thank you," said Andrew as he too embraced Angel.

"This is what you will get to wear on my wedding day," said Angel, "Glacian will tell you about the other days that Gardevoirs and Gallades don their wedding attire in celebration." Andrew and Karen couldn't have been more proud of their loving daughter.

"Speaking of weddings, has Ramirez proposed to you yet?" asked Karen with a bright smile.

"No, he hasn't," replied Angel, "But I think he's going to do just that before long."

"Angel?" asked Andrew with some embarrassment, "Would you please help your mother and I get dressed for dinner?"

"I would love to!" exclaimed Angel.

"And to think…" said Karen as she cried with tears of joy, "I'm going to get to help my daughter get dressed for her wedding day after all." As Angel taught her parents how to put on their wedding attire, Mack was finally walking back into his bedroom. He closed and locked the door then called out to his mate, hoping she was okay.

"Aura!" said Mack loudly as he walked towards the closed bathroom door, "Are you okay in there?"

"Never better, honey," giggled Aura.

"I'm so glad to hear that," said Mack with a sigh of relief, "Sorry, my princess, but I couldn't get you any orange juice. It would appear that Gremlin and William blew it all up as well as the rest of the kitchen."

"That explains a few things," said Aura with a smile; "Is everyone alright?"

"Yes," replied Mack happily, "Everyone is doing just fine. In fact, Angel was just about to give her parents their wedding dresses and jewelry."

"I'll bet they loved it all," said a very happy Aura, "I was so delighted when I got to see my wedding dress for the first time." Mack pulled on the door handle, but it was locked.

"Is it alright if I come in there?" asked Mack.

"No, dear," said Aura sweetly, "I'm not quite ready. Say, how about you get your wedding dress out now, my prince? I'll be out in just a bit to help you put it on."

"Okay, my princess," said Mack tenderly, grinning as he gently scratched on the door. Aura grinned as she glanced at the bathroom room. All that remained for Aura was for her to put on her tiara, her long, lace veil and then close and secure the bodice of her dress. Aura blushed: she wanted Mack to lace up her new dress for the first time and figured Mack would relish the moment as much as she would. She waited and smiled as she heard Mack slide open the door to his closet. Mack's loud, bloodcurdling scream was strangely satisfying to the young Gardevoir: she giggled uncontrollably and sadistically as she made her way to the door.

"Surprise, Mack…" said Aura to herself with a soft, mischievous voice. She slowly opened the door and saw Mack face to face.

"Aura!! What have you done to my wedding dress?!" shrieked Mack as loud as he could.

"Don't you like it, my prince?" asked Aura, smiling as she walked towards her handsome mate, "I had it made just for you." Mack rubbed his eyes a few times and took another look at Aura. He may have not been dreaming, but Aura now looked like something out of his most pleasant and wonderful dreams since he had been married to her. Her dress was now covered with decorative embroidery, the finest and most impressive that Mack had ever seen. The embroidery was accented with thousands of smooth, 2 karat rubies and diamonds all over the fabulous dress. Even the large, white bow on the back of Aura's dress was now adorned with dozens of diamonds and rubies. Aura was smiling and blushing deeply as Mack looked just below her face. There, he saw a white, standup collar with more intricate embroidery and more gems. At the front center of the collar, there was an 8 karat, smooth, deep red ruby. Aura smiled as she put her right hand under Mack's chin and tenderly lifted his head, looking deep into his eyes.

"Who… who made these dresses for us and… where did they come from?" stammered Mack, "Wow… you're… you're so gorgeous…" Aura just smiled as she turned around, offering the back of her stunning new wedding dress to her mate. Mack smiled when he saw the soft, white laces with golden loops on the back of Aura's bodice. A pair of golden buttons, accented with two more 1 karat rubies would secure the collar.

"Would you please help me with my dress?" asked Aura sweetly. She quickly got her answer as Mack reached out and tenderly laced up the dress. Aura smiled and giggled as she glanced over her right shoulder. Mack was smiling and blushing as he slowly laced up his mate's wedding dress.

"Enjoying yourself back there?" asked Aura with a seductive smile. Mack chuckled and nodded his head. It wasn't long before Mack had laced up the dress, tied the laces off into a bow and secured the pair of buttons on the back of Aura's collar. Finally, Mack slid Aura's dazzling tiara into her hair and clipped the long, lace veil into the tiara. The lace veil now reached to the ground and had even more beautiful designs and patterns sewed into the delicate, flowing lace. He put his hands on her waist and held her tightly. He couldn't resist running his hands over the soft fabric. He tenderly touched and stroked the smooth, glittering gems that now covered his mate.

"The more I think about it, I would have loved to have been married to you while we wore dresses as dazzling and beautiful as this," said Mack tenderly.

"I thought so," said Aura softly and sweetly, "Now to answer your questions, my handsome prince."

"Please do, my princess," said Mack blissfully. Aura giggled as she turned around and faced Mack.

"You see, I spoke to Glacian and Gloria several months ago about our wedding attire and they agreed that our dresses just were not beautiful enough for a married couple of the royal family," explained Aura as Mack continued to hold onto her tightly and affectionately, "So, I met secretly with Angel and chose the most extravagant design she had come up with. While you were asleep, I managed to take our dresses to Olympus for awhile so Angel could work on them. These dresses that we have now were made from our originals. I wanted to surprise you, so this was all done in secret. When I found out about dinner tonight, Angel worked nonstop for two days to get our new dresses ready for tonight." Mack laughed.

"I suppose the dresses arrived early this morning while I was still asleep?" asked Mack, grinning at his wife, "And you somehow had a few copies of our original wedding attire lying around when we had that secret meeting with Glacian?"

"Yep," said Aura with a cheerful voice. Mack took a few steps back, releasing Aura from his passionate embrace. He looked down at the decorated, sparkling skirt of Aura's dress. The skirt was even fuller than before. He gently pushed his hand against Aura's jewel-encrusted skirt: there were even more layers of soft and fluffy tulle petticoats underneath the skirt. Aura giggled as she walked away from Mack and pulled his dress out of the closet. Mack nodded appreciatively at his sparkling dress.

"It's just like yours," said Mack with sheer delight.

"The only differences are that yours has half as many gemstones on it, they are half the size of the gems on my dress and instead of rubies, you have sapphires," giggled Aura, "And, of course, you also don't have puffed sleeves or a bow. Only brides get such things on their dresses." Mack gently took the dress from Aura and held it out in his hands. It was a lot heavier than his old one, but he certainly did not mind, especially due to the delighted and joyful looks he got from his mate.

"Do brides only get laces on their dresses as well?" asked Mack with a smile, "Or is that something special just for me?"

"Of course not, silly," giggled Aura as she sat down at her vanity, "Glacian's dress has laces, too. In fact, Glacian ordered that all married Gardevoirs in the royal family have the zippers on their wedding dresses replaced with laces."

"So I see," said Mack as he gently set the dress on the floor.

"Besides," said Aura as she gazed at her husband, "I think laces are very cute. Don't you?"

"I could get used to them," chuckled Mack as he picked up his dress, slippers and gave Aura a quick kiss on her lips, "I'll be right back, my princess." Aura watched closely as Mack walked into the bathroom and locked the door. Aura couldn't help but press her ear against the door and smile as she heard the soft rustling of her mate's beautiful white dress as he slowly put it on. A few minutes later, Mack emerged from the bathroom. He smiled at Aura as he turned around and offered the back of his dress to his wife.

"Would my princess be so kind as to help me with my dress?" asked Mack sweetly. Aura said nothing as she reached forward and tenderly laced up Mack's soft, sparkling dress and then fastened the two sapphire buttons. Mack straightened the decorated collar and walked towards the large mirror next to the vanity. He smiled and nodded at himself as he gazed into the mirror. Aura giggled as she came up behind Mack and put her mate's decorative white cape on his back. Mack chuckled as Aura tenderly clipped the gold chain of his cape in place. Mack looked himself over and then took another good, long gaze at Aura. He walked alongside Aura and put his left arm around her.

"And now the prince and princess of Olympus shall proceed downstairs to their fabulous dinner of frozen pizza and orange soda in the ballroom," said Mack with warm laughter.

"Does his highness not approve?" asked Aura with a grin.

"I don't care anymore just so we get something to eat. I've had enough adventures and… big surprises for one day," said Mack happily as he led Aura out of the bedroom and into the hallway. Aura smiled as she leaned against her loving husband and listened to the soft rustling of the wedding dresses. She glanced behind her back and saw that her veil and Mack's cape were just a few inches off the ground. She was looking forward to dinner, dancing and showing off hers and Mack's new wedding dresses to their family and friends.


	16. Section 16

The Village Guardians

**-62-**

Glacian, Gloria, Alexander, Aurora, Fredrick, Sakura, Wallace and Jean waited patiently in the ballroom of Warren's mansion. Only Anna was absent as she was preparing for the final phase of her training with Simon. To Warren and Agatha, the sight of so many married couples in their wedding attire was very nice, calming and uplifting. Ramirez had quickly set up some folding tables and chairs while Agatha had hastily cooked up one very cheap dinner. It was very hard for such an accomplished and skilled chef to resort to boxed meals, especially as dinner for Gardevoir royalty. Still, Agatha was relieved that her guests were so understanding and grateful nonetheless. The recent disaster in the kitchen was immense, but everyone seemed to have gotten over it already and even Agatha was happy. She was looking forward to her new kitchen and all its brand new fancy gadgets, pots, pans as well as some new flatware and silverware. Meanwhile, Andrew and Karen were on their way to the ballroom with their daughter following close behind.

"Angel, I don't know to thank you for all this," said a happy Andrew, "It was so nice of you to make these fabulous dresses, just for us." Karen smiled and nodded her head in agreement.

"We never got to have our own wedding attire," giggled Karen, "After seeing Mack and Aura fight in that tournament in their wedding splendor; I just had to get my own wedding dress."

"I was just happy to do something nice for you," said Angel, smiling at her parents, "Only the best for my mom and dad."

"Still, this is so wonderful," said Andrew, "Why, Karen and I had asked John a few years ago if we could have our own wedding attire to celebrate our long marriage. Sadly, he couldn't find any tailors or seamstresses who would take the job." Karen nodded her head with a blissful sigh.

"Sounds like John had gone through a lot of trouble for you two," said Angel happily.

"He's our friend," said a delighted Karen, "In fact, we're some of the few friends he has, aside from the family members he has here in Gardev." Andrew held onto Karen's right hand and led her into the fancy ballroom.

"I never want to take this dress off. Ever," giggled Karen to her husband: Andrew nodded his head in approval. The other Gardevoirs smiled as Andrew and Karen stepped into the ballroom in their new wedding attire. Andrew bowed and Karen offered a curtsey when they saw King Glacian and Queen Gloria, standing side by side and hand in hand.

"Welcome Andrew and Karen," said Glacian with a friendly smile, "Gloria and I are delighted to have you with us this evening."

"Thank you very much, your highness," said Andrew. Glacian chuckled and stepped towards the humble Gardevoir couple.

"You may rise," said Glacian cheerfully, "After all, it's just a matter of time before we'll be family."

"Please, take a seat with us," said Gloria, "We have much to discuss." Andrew and Karen stood up straight and then sat down at the folding table with the other Gardevoirs. Angel was smiling as she sat between her real and her adoptive parents.

"So, you are the proud mother and father of Angel," said Wallace with a friendly voice, "I'm glad we finally get to meet."

"Yes," said Jean with bright smile, "Nice to meet you both."

"Same here," said Andrew, "I see you two have taken great care of our daughter. For that, I humbly thank you from the bottom of my heart." Wallace smiled and nodded, as did Jean.

"She was so heartbroken for years after you and your wife had been taken from her while she was just a young Ralts," said Wallace, "From what I've heard, Ramirez has been a great help to Angel." Andrew and Wallace glanced at Ramirez.

"So I've heard," said Andrew joyfully.

"I have something to say, too," said Angel as she stood up from the table and with a surprisingly remorseful voice, "Wallace, Jean, Glacian and Gloria: you all know very well that I've been so angry and bitter for most of my life. If none of you had encouraged me so strongly I may have run away. Thanks to all of you, I was able to find my niche in life as one of the best seamstresses in all of Olympus. I want to apologize to all of you for the way I've treated you in return for so long. Why, I haven't even hugged Wallace or Jean since I've known them."

"I forgive you," said Wallace.

"Me too," said Jean with a bright smile. Glacian glanced over at Gloria: she giggled and smiled at her mate.

"Angel: consider yourself pardoned," said Glacian with joy. Gloria and the others erupted with laughter. Suddenly, the group of Gardevoirs and one Gallade stopped laughing when they heard a strange, soft rustling from the far entrance of the ballroom. They stood up and gazed into the doorway with their eyes opened wide as Mack and Aura slowly stepped into the room in their new wedding dresses. Angel laughed with immense delight.

"I knew you would look great in your new wedding dresses!" exclaimed an elated Angel.

"Perfect for a prince and a princess," remarked Glacian with joy, "Angel, you've outdone yourself as usual." Aura had a bright smile on her face and Mack was blushing nervously as they approached the large table and sat down in the last open chairs.

"Angel, I can only imagine how fabulous you and Ramirez will look on your wedding day," said Andrew with amazement, "The Guardians of Gardev are downright beautiful!"

"Speaking of which," said Ramirez as he quickly stood up from the table. Angel smiled as Ramirez walked up to her and then dropped onto his left knee before her.

"Angel, I'm sorry I didn't do this sooner, but now I want to make it official," said Ramirez as he looked up and deep into Angel's beautiful eyes, "I wanted your parents to be able to see this." Angel blushed as Ramirez reached out with his right hand and then gently held Angel's right hand in his.

"Angel…" said Ramirez tenderly, "Will you marry me?"

"Of course, you understand the responsibility you are undertaking," said Andrew, "Since I've already given you my permission and my blessing it is now up to my daughter to decide." Angel smiled and closed her eyes. She could sense the young Guardian's immense passion and love for her. The choice was all too obvious for the young Gardevoir.

"I would love to be your wife, Ramirez," said Angel sweetly, "I accept the duties of being a Guardian of Gardev and I accept your proposal, my love." The other Gardevoirs applauded and cheered as Ramirez and Angel stood up and wrapped their arms around each other in a passionate embrace.

"It's just too soon for me, honey…" said Karen with tears of joy as she leaned against her mate. Andrew smiled and tenderly stroked his beloved wife.

"It's not like we're going to miss the wedding," said a hopeful Andrew, "Our daughter is going to be the most beautiful bride of the next year. You can bet on that."

"Wait until those over-zealous seamstresses back in Olympus hear about this," said Ramirez as a grin spread across his face. Angel laughed as she held Ramirez close.

"That will be the icing on the cake," said Angel with glee.

"Now then," said Glacian as the other overjoyed Gardevoirs and Gallade quieted down, "There is one other reason why I wanted to call you all here. Gloria and I have been talking about who our successor would be for some time and we have come to a decision." The ballroom became as quiet as a tomb.

"The choice was easy," said Gloria happily, "And we know our kingdom will be in very good hands."

"That is why I am happy to announce that my…" started Glacian as Alexander and Aurora cried out.

"Glacian, no!" shouted Alexander. Glacian and Gloria were stunned as Alexander and Aurora stood up from the table.

"What…what is the meaning of this?" stammered a shocked Glacian, "I thought we had discussed this before and you had accepted. I was just about to make the official declaration." Alexander and Aurora glanced at each other for a few moments and then faced the king and queen once again.

"Glacian," said Aurora with sadness, "Alexander and I have been talking about this as well. We don't think we have what it takes to be a king and queen."

"Plus, we're going to be very old by the time you and Gloria are ready to pass on your crowns and duties," said Alexander with remorse, "I'm sorry, my great-grandfather, but Aurora and I cannot accept your offer of the throne of Olympus." Glacian sat back down at the table, as did Alexander and Aurora. The old king could not understand why the two Gardevoirs had just refused to be his and Gloria's successors.

"Alexander, Aurora: You do realize that by refusing my offer now, you will never be king and queen. Ever," warned Glacian, "Once I give my word, those chosen Gardevoirs will be the next rulers of Olympus unless the good Lord decides otherwise."

"We just want to live out the rest of our lives as peaceful as we can," said Aurora with a sad voice as she bowed her head.

"You do have to admit that my wife and I are much weaker than we used to be, while you and Gloria have remained very powerful over the years," said Alexander, "In extreme circumstances, it is the duty of the king and queen to protect Olympus. That is one responsibility my mate and I can no longer meet now." Glacian nodded his head.

"As you wish," said Glacian in a depressed tone, "I accept and respect your decision, Alexander and Aurora." Gloria leaned against Glacian and wrapped her left arm around him tightly.

"You don't have to announce anything tonight, Glacian," said Gloria with a sweet, gentle voice, "Why don't we eat, dance and discuss who we want to rule Olympus later?"

"You're right," said Glacian, "Besides, I already have a few ideas on who should wear our crowns next." Mack couldn't help but notice as Glacian stared at him. The king was deep in thought as he looked Mack over. Aura, on the other hand, was leaning against her husband with her eyes closed and a blissful smile on her face as Agatha put plates of fresh-baked pizza in front of the eager Gardevoirs and Gallade. Aura only opened her eyes for a moment to get another look at the heavily decorated bodice and skirt of her mate's beautiful dress. All she could think about now was getting to dance with Mack in their stunning wedding attire before they would be alone in their bedroom for yet another wonderful night together.

**-63-**

The next morning, Anna was excited as she met Simon in a corridor of the massive marble palace of Olympus.

"Are you ready for the last of you training?" asked Simon.

"I am ready," said Anna with determination. Simon smiled and nodded appreciatively at his young student.

"So you are," said Simon, "Just so you know, Anna, these next few months are going to be the toughest yet. The increased strength you received from carrying those huge granite tablets for so long will be very helpful in the days ahead as well as your newfound patience."

"So, what are you going to teach me now?" asked an enthusiastic Anna. Simon's gentle gaze fell upon the young Gardevoir.

"There may very well come times when you cannot depend on your psychic powers for attack or defense," said Simon, "I now feel you are ready to learn unarmed combat, such as a few forms of Karate as well as armed combat with a weapon of your choice."

"I'd like you to teach me how to use a .44 Magnum," said a grinning Anna. Simon couldn't help but laugh.

"Not that kind of weapon!" said Simon with warm laughter, "Something more like swords, knives and other such things. I've never learned to operate a firearm and I've never needed to."

"Well, I've always wanted to learn how to fight with a katana and a wakizashi," replied Anna. To say the least, Simon was absolutely delighted an Anna's response.

"That is a good choice," said Simon happily, "After all, I am said to be one of the best Pokémon sword masters in the world. I think I'm going to enjoy teaching you how to wield those weapons. Of course, you realize that the katana and wakizashi are very dangerous and should never be used, unless in extreme circumstances. I'm going to teach you how to be lethal and agile in combat by sword and with your own hands."

"Then again… I really don't want to be able to kill people like that…" said Anna with great hesitation, "I think I'd be better off not knowing such things."

"Your remark is very comforting," said Simon, "I will also teach you how to use martial arts as well as your weapons of choice when you just want to disable or disarm your opponent. Like I said, there may come a time when you will have to rely on more than just your own powers alone."

"Okay then, sensei," said Anna with yet another polite bow towards her instructor, "Please lead the way, sensei." Simon nodded and led Anna down the large corridor of the palace.

"We'll be training in the arena of the Elite Guards," said Simon. Anna gasped at this revelation.

"But, only Gallades and their trainees are allowed in there! It's forbidden for any female Ralts, Kirlias or Gardevoirs to go to that place!" said Anna with shock.

"I have the permission of King Glacian and Queen Gloria to finish your training there," said Simon, "Besides; I stashed a few good blades there just in case you did choose the katana and the wakizashi." As they approached the decorated and large door of the Elite Guard's training hall, Wallace stood at attention, watching as his guests stepped forward. Simon and Anna stopped just a few yards away from the captain of the guard.

"Welcome, Simon and Anna," said Wallace with a friendly smile, "The king and queen have granted your request to train here. You may proceed and do as you will, but please be aware not to disturb my comrades as they train the young Ralts and Kirlia on the other side of this door."

"Wallace, you have my word," declared Simon. Wallace smiled and nodded his head.

"Then you may enter," said Wallace as he stepped back and slowly opened the heavy, white marble door. Anna was amazed at what she saw on the other side. There were dozens of male Ralts and Kirlias working hard on their training. Anna had to keep herself from laughing when she saw a few dozen Ralts lifting seventy-pound weights and working out on simple treadmills. Others were practicing different martial arts moves and techniques. Four Gallades were helping the youngsters and guiding them through the rough and difficult training. At the far left corner, she saw one of the Gallades with two Kirlias. They were standing on large, blue mats and from what Anna could gather, the two Kirlias were about to fight.

"Are you both ready?" asked the Gallade with a stern voice. The two Kirlias nodded their heads.

"Good, now show me what you've learned," said the Gallade as he took a few steps back. The two Kirlias bowed towards each other once and then stood up straight and got into a ready stance.

"First to five points wins," said the Gallade, "Get ready… and Fight!" At the Gallade's command, the two Kirlias rushed towards each other with surprising speed. Anna watched with amazement as the young Kirlias unleashed a flurry of kicks, punches and lighting-fast blocks. A few moments later, the Kirlia on the left yelled out as his opponent landed a punch on his chest. The struck Kirlia fell to his knees from the pain.

"Good work, Zack," said the Gallade to the winner of the first point, "Jason, can you continue?" Jason nodded his head and got back into a battle stance.

"Good," said the Gallade, "Now fight!" Again, the Kirlias rushed at each other. Jason struck first and knocked Zack off his feet with a sweeping kick. Before Zack could react, Jason jumped onto him, pinning him to the ground. Jason yelled and with a quick move, managed to shake Jason off his body. Zack jumped to his feet and charged forward with a mighty kick, right into Jason's chest again. Jason dropped to his knees and cried out in pain once again.

"Take it easy, Zack," cautioned the Gallade, "You have another point, but remember that this is just practice."

"I understand, sensei," said Zack as he turned his concerned gaze towards his opponent, "Jason, are you okay?" Jason bowed his head in shame and cringed from the pain in his chest.

"I… I can't take this anymore…" said Jason, "I can't beat anyone I go against… ever…"

"Don't give up! You can do it!" shouted Anna from across the room, drawing the undivided attention of every single Pokémon in the room. Anna blushed deeply from embarrassment.

"The princess is correct," said the Gallade as he helped Jason get back on his feet, "I won't deny that your training is difficult, hard on your body and mind as well as painful. I will say this, though: the only ones who have ever failed the training are the ones who quit. Sooner or later, many of the students give up as their hope and strength leave them. The few who stick it out become the next Gallades and proud members of the Elite Guard. Jason, give it one more try. You don't have to win the fight today, but please don't give up." Jason nodded as he faced off against Zack on more time.

"I'll try again," said Jason, "Right now."

"Bring it on," said Zack.

"Now, be careful, you two," said the Gallade, "Ready?" Jason and Zack looked into each others eyes and nodded their heads.

"Fight!" commanded the Gallade. Jason leapt forward one last time as Zack charged towards his opponent. Zack kicked and punched with great speed as Jason blocked every attack. Then, with another quick motion, Jason grabbed onto Zack's left wrist with his left hand. Before the surprised Kirlia could react, Jason let his right fist fly forward, landing a direct hit on the left side of Zack's face. Jason let go of his opponent and jumped back as Zack staggered to his feet.

"You see," said the smiling Gallade, "You can do it."

"Thank you so much, Princess Anna!" said Jason happily. Anna smiled at the young, happy Kirlia.

"You're welcome," said Anna cheerfully, "Now you keep at this until you become a Gallade."

"I will!" said Jason as he and Zack faced off once again.

"Now, we should get started on your own training," said Simon as he led Anna towards a doorway at the center of the far wall, "We're allowed to use this room. This is where you will learn from me for the next three months."

"But, I thought I only had two months of training left," said Anna, "That was our deal."

"I'm extending the timeline for one reason: you have great potential and have been one of my best students in ages," said Simon, "Now, prepare yourself. Like I said, these next months are going to be the hardest you've ever had. All you will do is eat, sleep and train under me."

"I am ready, sensei," said Anna with determination as she and Simon entered the room. The walls were plain white marble and the room was much smaller than the main room the Gardevoir and Kabutops had just walked across. The other Ralts and Kirlias returned to their workouts and practice as Simon closed and locked the door tightly. Several large, soft blue mats were at the center of the room while painted pictures of other Gallades and a few racks of weapons lined the walls. Bright light streamed in through the massive windows.

"Now we shall begin," said Simon as he approached Anna, "I'll start you off with karate and its many forms. Knowing you and how quickly Gardevoirs can learn, I think you'll have all this down within the next five weeks. Only after you've mastered the required techniques will I teach you the way of the sword." The young Gardevoir nodded and prayed she would succeed. Her wedding was only months away and the thoughts of Enrique would be the only thing that would keep her going for the next three, long and painful months.


	17. Section 17

The Village Guardians

**-64-**

To say the least, William and Gremlin were very grateful and relieved. Despite the disaster in the main kitchen in Warren's mansion, they had been given amnesty; of course, not without a thorough tongue-lashing from Mack, Aura, Warren and Agatha all in the same day. The last two months had passed by without further incidents. Agatha was overjoyed with the new kitchen and all its fancy appliances and utensils. All the food and the high quality ingredients had been replaced without much trouble. As for William and Gremlin, they never would even think of stealing food ever again: Well, at least they wouldn't try to steal from that kitchen again. William was sound asleep in a linen-lined basket in Warren's room as the old mayor snored loudly. It was late in the spring and the time was only 6:35 AM as the sun was just starting to peak over the mountainous horizon. Agatha was cooking what she would call a relatively simple breakfast of pancakes, sausage, scrambled eggs and hash browns. The pleasant aromas from the sizzling food drifted their way down the long hallways of the mansion, slowly, but surely. Mack and Aura were in a deep blissful sleep, as usual. Mack had his left arm wrapped around his loving wife, holding her close to his body. The lovers were smiling in their sleep, when the wonderful smells from the kitchen graced Mack's nose. His wings twitched a few times as he slowly awoke from his blissful sleep. He slowly sat up in bed as he spread his wings in a slow stretch. Mack smiled as he gazed happily at his sleeping mate. Before he had been awakened by the smell of a delightful breakfast, he had been happily dreaming about Aura. In his dream, he saw himself sitting in a velvet chair across from the bed. He was wearing his stunning wedding attire, complete with his flowing cape and gazing at Aura with a bright smile on his face. Aura was in her beautiful wedding dress and jewelry as well as she lay back on the large and comfortable bed with her wings spread out. There were several pink, soft and fluffy pillows behind her head and lower back. She was smiling with sheer delight as she rubbed her swollen belly with her right hand, stroking the sparkling, jeweled and decorated fabric on her wedding dress. Mack could only hope what he saw was an image from the future, when he and Aura would get to have their first Ralts. Mack sighed blissfully as he reached out with his right hand and gently rubbed Aura's right shoulder. Aura let out a soft yawn, slowly opening her eyes as she awoke from her mate's soft and gentle touch.

"Good morning, my beautiful princess," said Mack sweetly as Aura sat up in bed, spread her wings out in a leisurely stretch and then met her mate's gentle gaze.

"Good morning, my handsome prince," said Aura with a blissful smile as she yawned and stretched a few times.

"I love you, Aura," said Mack, smiling at his wife. Aura giggled and slid towards Mack, wrapping her arms around his lower torso.

"I love you too, honey," said Aura tenderly, smiling as she leaned against Mack, "Have you been dreaming about me again?" Mack laughed warmly as he stroked the soft fabric of Aura's skirt with his right hand.

"Guilty as charged," replied Mack, "I dreamed that you and I were alone in this room and in our wedding attire…"

"I like it already," said Aura with a sly grin.

"I was sitting in a chair on your left next to the bed," said Mack as he affectionately put his left arm around Aura, "You were lying in bed, smiling at me as you were rubbing your belly: you were with Ralts and it seemed like we were just waiting patiently for our first child to be born."

"Never hurts to look ahead," giggled Aura, "Our tenth wedding anniversary is a little more than 8 years away."

"Speaking of weddings," said Mack as he faced Aura, "Our sister is going to be married in only a few months now."

"That's true. I hope Simon's taking good care of her," said Aura. The two lovers jumped from surprise as their bedroom shook for a few moments, following a muffled thud from outside.

"Now what's going on…" muttered Mack as she stood up from the bed and made his way towards the sliding glass door at the far right corner of the room. He was just about to open the blinds on the door when Aura came up behind Mack and dangled a pair of white pants in his face.

"You really want to go to battle just wearing briefs under your gown?" asked Aura with a mischievous smile. Mack chuckled as he gently took the pants from Aura's hands and hastily put them on under his flowing white skirt.

"I'm starting to make a bad habit of this," said Mack with nervous laughter.

"Sooner or later, you're going to greet one of our friends or family members with your briefs showing," said Aura as she hastily put on a pair of soft, white pants under her flowing gown as well. The lovers were now presentable. Aura stood behind Mack as he slowly opened the blinds and then threw open the glass door. Xavier shrieked; startled from the sudden and very loud sound that came from behind him.

"Well, well," said Mack with a smile as he crossed his arms, "If it isn't Xavier, the world's greatest Lugia."

"Not really…" huffed Xavier in a depressed tone.

"You weren't able to find a nice mate?" asked Aura softly.

"I did find a nice, female Lugia," grumbled Xavier, "And then some other male Lugia showed up and drew her attention away from me with some sort of stupid courtship dance!"

"Maybe I should have taught you the electric slide when I had the chance," joked Mack. Xavier laughed, feeling a bit better.

"That would have gotten her attention, alright," giggled Aura. Xavier looked up at his dear friends.

"So, what's up these days?" asked Xavier.

"Well, let's see," said Mack as grin spread across his face, "Aura secretly got mine and her wedding dresses redone, Ramirez finally proposed to Angel, William and Gremlin blew up the main kitchen in this mansion and Anna is still training under Simon." Aura walked back into her room for a moment.

"Heh," said a grinning Xavier, "I should have known I would miss all the fun!" Aura giggled as she walked onto the balcony, proudly showing off hers and Mack's glamorous, sparkling wedding dresses as she held them up in her hands.

"Quite beautiful, aren't they?" said Mack with a nervous smile. Xavier smiled mischievously at the male Guardian.

"I bet you look downright cute in your pretty new dress," said Xavier jokingly as Aura laughed.

"Of course he looks cute in his wedding dress," said Aura sweetly as she started to walk back into her bedroom again, "I would know: he's my very own, pretty prince." Mack laughed nervously as Aura happily put the pair of wedding dresses back into their appropriate closets.

"I'm going to have so much to explain to my family and friends when I finally get home," said Mack as he turned his head to gaze at Aura, "With my beautiful mate." Aura giggled as she quietly closed the closet doors shut and then walked back to Mack, standing at her mate's side.

"Time to get breakfast, my pretty prince," said Aura as she playfully nudged Mack's left side.

"After you, my beautiful princess," said Mack, smiling as he bowed politely. Aura laughed as Mack stood back up and then held onto her right hand, leading her out of the bedroom.

"I wonder how Anna is doing," said Aura, "She's been training with Simon a lot longer than she said she would."

"Knowing Simon, he probably had a few other tricks up his sleeves that he just had to teach our sister," said Mack as he closed the bedroom door behind himself and his wife. Mack would not find out just how right he was for at least a few more days. In Olympus, Simon was now finished teaching Anna all he knew about martial arts and swordplay. To make things fairer towards Anna, Simon had again morphed into a Gardevoir to teach the young Gardevoir a variety of unarmed combat styles: karate, judo and kung-fu just to name a few. Anna had learned the many styles quickly, leading Simon to the erroneous conclusion that his student would also master swordplay with great ease. Simon would know on the first day of teaching Anna how to wield the traditional Japanese swords just how wrong his assumption was. At first, Anna had so much trouble wielding the dulled swords that Simon had lent her. Even the dulled blades had proven more dangerous to the young Gardevoir than Simon could have ever imagined. A few healing cuts on Anna's legs as well as a few cuts in one of the walls were testament to that fact. After weeks and weeks of intensive training, Anna now confidently held her glimmering katana and wakizashi in her hands. She twirled the sparkling blades and then, in one fluid motion, put both swords back into their scabbards. The dark, wooden scabbards were strapped onto a black, leather belt wrapped around her waist. She wiped some sweat off her brow, as did Simon as he let out a loud huff.

"You've learned well and very quickly," said Simon with delight, back in his Kabutops from, "To say the very least, I am impressed Anna."

"Thank you, sensei," said a happy Anna with another polite bow towards her seasoned instructor.

"Let's try that once more," said Simon as he readied himself with his large, shimmering claws in a battle stance. Anna nodded and unsheathed her Japanese blades once again. Aura yelled with fury as she ran up to Simon and made one swift, calculated swing with her might blades, one after another. Sparks rained down onto the floor as Simon reflexively defended against each and every blow. Anna had gotten a lot faster over the last several weeks and could even block Simon's quicker attacks and slashes as well. It had taken Anna a week just to learn how to wield the two ancient swords and took the last four weeks for Anna to learn how to attack and defend reflexively. This was no longer the case. Simon did a mighty back flip several feet into the air, landing several yards from his student. Anna rushed back towards her instructor, with her swords at the ready. Simon let his arms and their lethal claws drop to his sides.

"Here we go again…" thought Anna as she tightened her grip on the two blades. Almost every time Simon had seemed to let his guard down, Anna would rush forward and Simon, in a flash, would knock the blades loose from the young Gardevoir's grip and would pin her on the floor with one claw. The other claw would be against her throat.

"You can do this, Anna," said Simon, "You've lost against me enough times to surely have figured me out by now." Anna sheathed the short wakizashi and gripped the katana with both hands. Anna yelled as she rushed into battle once again. Simon knew he had her once again and got ready to strike, but suddenly, Anna did a back flip and landed just inches out of Simon's striking range. Simon was already moving into his attack when Anna had evaded him at the last moment. As soon as Simon's claws were out of her way, still in mid swing, Anna jumped forward and with a sweeping kick hit Simon right in the face. The old Kabutops lost his balance and dropped onto his back. Anna lunged forward and gently pressed the tip of her katana against Simon's neck. Their battle had taken them off the protection of the soft mats and onto the old marble floor.

"Now yield," said Anna defiantly, "I've beaten you."

"You haven't won," said Simon with a grin, "You've given up your footing for a killing stroke." Simon slammed his left claw into the floor as hard and fast as he could, shattering the old, white marble tiles. Anna struggled to keep her balance as the ancient flooring under her feet suddenly gave way into a two-foot deep crater. Anna screamed as she fell to her knees in the middle of the shallow, three-foot wide crater. Wallace had heard the sound of crumbling marble and Anna's scream, so he ran towards the old training room.

"Now what has that Kabutops gone and done?" grumbled Wallace as he kicked the marble doors open.

"Be careful in here!" shouted Wallace, "This room hasn't been used for serious training in years because of the unstable floor, so watch your step!" Wallace bowed his head in despair and let out a heavy sigh when he saw Simon lying on his back. Anna was now standing in the middle of a considerable crater, stunned and still holding the katana with her right hand.

"Hello, Wallace," said Anna nervously.

"Hrmph!" grumbled Wallace, "Maybe it's high time you two took your sparing elsewhere, perhaps the main training hall?"

"A splendid idea," said Simon with a grin as he got back on his feet, "I think the little ones could use a good laugh." Anna glared at Simon as she put her katana back in its scabbard.

"This way, please," said Wallace as he motioned for the young Gardevoir and ancient Kabutops to head through the doorway, "The young ones are taking a break. I'm sure they'll be delighted to see some real fighting."

"I'll try not to disappoint them," said Anna confidently as she and Simon walked into a white circle at the middle of the massive room. The other Gallades, Kirlias and Ralts were sitting on the floor, watching with anticipation as Anna and Simon stepped into the center ring. Anna and Simon bowed towards each other and then stood erect, staring at each other. Anna unsheathed her katana and its smaller companion as Simon brandished his claws.

"Pay close attention," said Wallace to the eager trainees, "You're going to be in for a real treat here." Anna twirled her wakizashi in her left hand and glared at Simon, ready to strike.

"Now we're on a more even playing field," said Anna sternly.

"Agreed," said Simon, "Now, let's see how you fair this time, Anna. Now… GO!!" With that, Simon and Anna charged towards each other with a loud shout and their gleaming blades drawn. The Ralts, Kirlias and Gallades watched with amazement as sparks rained on the ground from the mighty clashes between Anna's swords and Simon's massive claws. The metallic noise was loud and echoed throughout the entire gigantic room.

"Anna sure is holding her own against that Kabutops, isn't she?" asked Wallace. The other Gallades nodded their heads in agreement as the mighty battle continued. For only the second time in the last several months, Anna was winning as she kept pushing Simon back with her impressive display of attacks and defenses against Simon's claws with a dulled katana and wakizashi. The trainees were cheering Anna on as she backed Simon into a corner. Simon snorted with contempt, not pleased that the little ones were all against him.

"Surely you don't think you've beaten me already, do you?" asked Simon gruffly. Anna shook her head back and forth a few times and then returned her glaring gaze onto Simon. The old Kabutops had his back against the wall and smiled at his student. Anna had gotten stronger and wiser faster than he could have ever imagined. Anna brought her blades back towards her body, ready to defend herself from whatever Simon was about to unleash.

"You're very wise to not underestimate me," said Simon, "Which is how you should always treat your enemies, great or small, for you never know what they may do next." Without another word Simon jumped into the air with a mighty leap, over Anna's head and back towards the center of the huge training room. Simon figured he would be able to wear Anna out and eventually best her. Sure enough, Anna had her blades drawn and was running after Simon with surprising speed. Then, something happened that no one could have expected. One of the onlookers, a young Ralts who had just began his training this very day, threw a banana peel onto the floor, right where Simon was going to land. The other Gallades were not fast enough to get the floor cleaned and Simon was too busy keeping his eyes on his opponent as his feet landed hard on the ground. The sickening feeling of the squishy banana peel greeted Simon's senses as he flew onto his back, howling with unbridled anger. He opened his eyes and saw Anna, grinning with the tip of her katana against his throat.

"You can't break the floor under me this time," said Anna forcefully, "You're always telling me to be aware of my surroundings at all times, something it appears you did not remember this time, sensei. Now yield!" Simon growled with frustration: Anna was right and had clearly figured out his error, the one time he had slipped up in the last several months and he knew he was beaten. Simon smiled at Anna.

"You've beaten me," said Simon happily, "Fair and square. I'm very impressed with you, Anna. Now, you may lower your blades and step back. You are the victor." Anna bowed politely and quickly put her blades back in their scabbards. Anna turned her back to Simon, keeping her right hand on the hilt of the katana when Simon sprang up from the ground and charged at Anna with his claws out. Anna said not a word as she twirled around, drew her katana and smashed Simon right in his nose with the hard hilt of her katana the moment Simon was close enough. Simon shrieked and jumped back, rubbing his nose. Simon's exterior may have been harder than stone, but Anna's calculated and well-timed blow had been quick and devastating.

"Way to go, Princess Anna!" said the young Ralts who had sabotaged Simon's chance for victory over his student with but a discarded piece of fruit peal, "You defeated Simon the Klutz!"

"Be quiet, young one!" snapped Wallace angrily; the Gallade hoped Simon had not heard what the young student had just said, but the Kabutops clearly heard what had just been spoken.

"Simon the Klutz?!" thundered the ancient Kabutops as he stomped towards the Ralts, "How did you come up with that one?!" Anna giggled as she put her katana back into its scabbard and watched the scene unfold.

"But…" said the Ralts nervously, "That's… what everyone… calls you because of… what you did at the king and queen's wedding, not to mention their… 10th wedding anniversary…"

"Give me a break…" grumbled Simon, "Throughout Olympus I'm known as Simon the Klutz?"

"I'm afraid it's true, Simon," said Wallace as he stepped towards the fuming Kabutops, "Word spread among the people of Olympus quickly about your… shall we say… exploits. I've tried to discourage such things here, but not with complete success."

"So I see," said Simon as he glared at the young Ralts, "Be glad you're not worth my time, otherwise I would challenge you to a duel to reclaim my honor."

"I can take you on!" said the Ralts overconfidently.

"Get back in line, little one," commanded Wallace.

"No," said Anna softly as she walked to and stood at Wallace's left side, "Let him try and learn the hard way." Wallace figured he could use a good laugh right now between the unruly student and the mess in the old training hall.

"Very well," said Wallace, "Begin when you are ready, Simon." Simon nodded and took a few steps back from the arrogant Ralts.

"I'm gonna beat you for sure!" shouted the Ralts defiantly.

"Bring it on," said Simon. With that, the Ralts yelled out in fury and charged at Simon. Suddenly, the Ralts yelped as he stepped on and then tripped on his gown, falling flat on his face. Simon chuckled warmly.

"Do you need some help?" asked Simon with a mocking tone of voice, "Or are you just trying to make me die from laughter, little klutz?" The Ralts growled with anger and jumped back on his feet. The Ralts yelled out with fury again as he ran towards Simon. The old Kabutops just stood still while the Ralts punched and kicked at his heavily-armored chest.

"So, you're going to tickle me to death instead, eh?" asked Simon mockingly. With a gentle motion of his left claw, he pushed the young Ralts off his feet and onto the floor. The young, male Ralts cried loudly with anguish.

"Why can't I beat you?!" shouted the Ralts as tears streamed down his face.

"The answer is simple," said Wallace sternly, "You are far too young and have very little experience in combat or at much else for that matter. You're going to have to train long and hard if you ever expect to be able to defeat the toughest opponents, let alone make it into the Elite Guard."

"Yes, sir," said the Ralts as he stood up and slowly walked away from Simon with his head hung low in shame.

"When you get older, there's no reason why we can't spar or why I can't teach you," said Simon firmly, "You have a long way to go and only time will tell just how capable you are."

"Then I'll keep training," said the Ralts with renewed confidence, "I'll become an Elite Guard, just like my father. Just you wait and see."

"I'll be there at your award ceremony, but that is only if you stay determined and give it your all," said Simon as he faced Anna, "As for you, it would seem that I am perhaps not a suitable opponent for you. Wallace?"

"Yes, Simon?" asked Wallace with a heavy sigh, "What is it this time?" Simon smiled at the old Gallade.

"Don't you worry, this does not involve any more demolition," replied Simon, "Are there any Gallades who would be up to the challenge of sparing with Anna?"

"That can be arranged right now, if you want," answered Wallace.

"Good," said Simon cheerfully, "Now, we just need an opponent."

"I'll go," said Daniel, "It should be interesting to see just how powerful Princess Anna has become." Simon laughed to himself with glee. Surely a seasoned guard like Daniel would be able to defeat Anna quickly and with ease. The young Gardevoir and the mature Gallade walked to the middle of the battlefield. The combatants bowed towards each other and then stood erect. Anna unsheathed her pair of swords as Daniel extended his forearm blades. They glared at each other, ready to fight.

"Now be careful," cautioned Wallace, "Don't hold back, but make sure you do not hurt her highness. Anna, I trust you will take all steps to avoid hurting Daniel?"

"You got it, Wallace," said Anna firmly.

"As you wish, sir!" said a determined Daniel.

"Now… FIGHT!!" commanded Wallace. Simon looked on with great anticipation as Anna and Daniel charged towards each other. Then, Simon and Wallace looked on with horror and disbelief as Anna defended against Daniel's few blows and then knocked him onto the floor with a sweeping kick. Daniel couldn't get up fast enough for Anna already had the tip of her dulled katana at his throat. Daniel smiled at the young Gardevoir.

"You've beaten me," said Daniel with sheer amazement, "I would expect nothing less from a princess of the realm or from a student of Simon's."

"Or at hand-to-hand combat," said Anna as she sheathed her katana and helped Daniel get back on his feet.

"You got beaten by a girl!" laughed the young Ralts again. A quick glare from Wallace was the only signal the little Ralts needed to know he needed to be quiet.

"Let's try someone else?" suggested Simon.

"I'll try," said Vladimir as he stepped forward.

"As you wish," said Vladimir as he and Anna took their positions on the field. Less a minute later, against all odds, now it was Vladimir's turn to have his back on the floor with Anna's katana at his throat. Another hour would pass before all the young Ralts and Kirlias would watch every last member of the Elite Guard get defeated by Anna with only a few quick blows. Wallace and Simon were astounded.

"I think it's safe to say that you may have trained Anna too well," said Wallace with disbelief as Anna sheathed her katana and wakizashi once again and helped yet another swiftly defeated opponent back on his feet.

"I think I've created a monster," said a bewildered Simon.

"Most impressive, Princess Anna," said Arthur happily, "I can't remember the last time anyone has managed to defeat me in combat, let alone a younger Gardevoir like yourself."

"You are too kind, Arthur," said Anna sweetly.

"A kind and humble monster," said Wallace with a smile.

"But still a monster," grumbled Simon.

"Just like my apprentice," said Wallace as he walked towards the large group of his comrades, "I want you all to know that you did very well against Anna and my own apprentice. Most importantly, I want you to all know that you are still more than capable of defending Olympus and its people and to not let these unexpected defeats make you lose your confidence."

"Who's your apprentice?" asked an excited Anna, "I'd like to fight him, too!" Wallace grinned at Anna.

"What are you smiling about?" asked Simon. Wallace said nothing as he faced a door at the far side of the immense room.

"Apprentice!" called Wallace, "You may end your meditation and prayer now and come forth!" Everyone in the room became silent as the door slowly creaked open. Simon gasped and Anna looked on with wide eyes as Wallace's apprentice came towards them.

"I am here, sensei," said Enrique calmly as he walked up to Anna. The young Gardevoir was shocked as she looked at her fiancé. He had a leather belt around his waist with a pair of Japanese swords in scabbards just like hers.

"You mean to say that Wallace was training you while Simon was training me?" asked Anna with amazement. Enrique smiled and nodded at his bride to be.

"I have some things I need to say to you and now I feel like I can," said Enrique with a cheerful tone of voice, "You weren't alone in your quest to become a better Gardevoir, to say the least." Wallace nodded his head.

"When I heard what he told me over five months ago I knew he needed guidance," said Wallace, "His parents agreed that Enrique needed some teaching and training as well."

"I was feeling so unconfident in my upcoming marriage to you that I was about to call it off," said Enrique as he turned his gaze towards Wallace, "But Wallace took me under his wing and taught me far more than how to fight: he taught me confidence, self-control and to not fear when you and I become mates." Anna smiled and blushed as she stared at Enrique. Wallace glanced at Simon with a friendly smile on his face.

"The young lovers have been reunited," said Wallace happily, "I think it's quite obvious that their training is complete."

"I don't think so," said Simon, still wanting to vindicate himself in any manner he could, "I think they should take turns sparing with you as a final test." Wallace laughed at Simon.

"Oh, give your pride a rest, Simon!" said Wallace with warm laughter, "After all, one thing I've learned over the years is to not be eager for fighting, combat and the like and especially bloodshed. Am I right, my apprentice?"

"Yes, sensei," said Enrique with great respect.

"Very good, Enrique. Henceforth, you are no longer my apprentice," declared Wallace with great joy, "You've mastered much in so little time. Now, I have a gift for you and your mate to be." Wallace glanced at Daniel. He nodded his head to an unspoken question and walked out of the large training room.

"I'll take those training blades back now," said Simon, "You won't be needing them anymore." Wallace chuckled warmly as Anna undid the black, leather belt and then handed the swords, scabbards and the accompanying belt back to Simon, "You've done better than I could have ever imagined. You are no longer my apprentice either Anna and I wish you the very best in your upcoming marriage." Anna giggled with delight as Enrique also took off his belt and training swords. The two lovers were about to wrap their arms around each other in a passionate embrace when Daniel walked back into the room, carrying several objects in his arms, hidden under a large, white cloth.

"Princess Anna, Enrique: please step towards me," said Wallace firmly as Daniel walked to and then stood at Wallace's right side. The two young Gardevoirs approached the leader of the Elite Guard, wondering what he was about to bestow upon them.

"In honor of both of you completing your training, I want to give each of you a present," said Wallace as he reached out with his left hand and quickly removed the white cloth that was covering Daniel's arms and the objects he was carrying. Enrique and Anna gasped in unison when they saw Wallace's presents for each of them: two ornate, white belts with golden buckles. On each belt, there were two golden scabbards: each belt had a decorated katana and wakizashi clipped to it.

"These blades were made centuries ago by order of King Cyrus and Queen Alexi," explained Daniel, "According to the orders that K-1 found on the ancient archives, these swords were to be presented to the winged ones who sought training in the house of the Elite Guard. Most importantly, the winged ones were to not yet be married. All these prophesies have been fulfilled this very day." Wallace smiled as he gently put each belt around the waist of their rightful owners and then secured the clips.

"King Cyrus foresaw that the owners of these swords would have grand futures ahead of them," said Wallace, "He also said the owners would be able to face whatever lay ahead so long as they did so together." Anna grabbed the gold and silver hilt of her katana and removed it from its decorated scabbard. The blade was light, perfectly balanced and shone with bright luster.

"K-1 said one other thing," said Daniel with glee, "These swords are made out of the same metal as the armored door to the old archives. He said the blades are practically indestructible."

"Take good care of them and remember to only use them for peace," cautioned Wallace. Anna twirled her new katana in her hand a few times before putting it back in the ornate scabbard.

"I understand," said Enrique with confidence.

"I accept these blades and the promise we make by taking them as our own," said Anna respectfully, "Thank you, Wallace."

"No, thank you," said Wallace with immense delight, "Glacian will be overjoyed when he hears that the royal knights of Olympus may live on once again."

"Knights of Olympus?" asked Anna with curiosity.

"I'll explain another day. You two have a lot to discuss as it is," said Wallace, "In the meantime, you both are free to go." Anna and Enrique bowed politely and respect to their teachers one last time and then left the training hall of the Gallades without another word, back to their homes.

"Alexander and Aurora aren't going to believe it when I show them what I just got," thought Anna happily. Her wedding day was only a few months away. Now, for the first time in ages, she felt confident that she would be not only a good wife, but the best friend Enrique would ever have.


	18. Section 18

The Village Guardians

**-65-**

Mack was alone in his bedroom on this warm, mid-summer evening. After all, there was no way Aura was going to miss her little sister's bridal shower. The sun had set not more than half an hour ago and the Guardian was lying back on the large, soft bed, relaxing and reflecting on the events that had unfolded over the last year. He vividly remembered the freak forest fire which had been started by someone or something not far from the base of Mt. Terror. Mack still wondered who was responsible for the fire that if left unchecked, could have destroyed the village of Gardev in a matter of hours. The Guardian also wondered what had become of the young Gardevoir, Alana. The thought soon left his mind when something far more important came from his memory. The rediscovery of the written form of the Gardevoir language as well as vital information on the Black Pendant, courtesy of the late King Cyrus and Queen Alexi, had solved many mysteries about the city of Olympus and what had thought to have been lost history. Now, not only was Anna about to be married, but Aura's older brother, Ramirez, would soon have a mate as well by the next year. Of course, Mack could never have seen the day coming when he would open his closet and find his wedding attire to be more stunning and beautiful than before as well as Aura's. Now there was the mystery of the Royal Knights of Olympus. Glacian and Gloria would say nothing about the subject, claiming they would reveal the history of the mythical order when Enrique and Anna were more prepared and more mature. K-1 had read up on the fabled order of Knights by way of the ancient archives, but he was also forbidden by King Glacian and Queen Gloria to speak of the matter. For now, K-1 was all too happy to be back home in the hidden laboratory. Being surrounded by books and white marble had felt so foreign to the robot, as opposed to being surrounded by computers and other advanced technologies. Back in the Guardians bedroom, William jumped up onto the bed and slowly walked towards Mack with a look of happiness on his face.

"Hi there, William," said Mack with a content smile as he gently stroked the friendly Pikachu, "Are you having a nice evening?" William squeaked happily.

"I'm feeling pretty good and I can't complain," said William with a cheerful tone of voice.

"Could that be because of how easy you and Gremlin got off for blowing up the kitchen a few months ago," chuckled Mack. William smiled sheepishly and nodded his head.

"I know, I know," said William with nervous laughter, "Still, the look on Agatha and Warren's faces were priceless."

"I have to agree with that," said Mack, chuckling warmly as he gently patted William on his head a few times.

"Well, I'm off to go find Anna," said William as he jumped off the bed and started for the bedroom door with great haste.

"Oh? Where are you off to in such a hurry and why do you need to see Anna?" asked Mack as William quickly stopped in his tracks.

"I just wanted to ask her something," said William, "That's alright with you, right?"

"Go ahead," said Mack with a smile, "Have fun over there." William ran through the doorway and was soon speeding down the long corridors of the mansion. Meanwhile, Anna and several of her friends had gathered in one of the conference rooms of the giant chapel. Aurora was sitting next to her daughter, smiling with immense delight as she, her daughter and the multitude of guests talked about recent events and the upcoming wedding while dining on fresh pastries and pies. Simon, wearing a white chef's hat, happily set a few warm cherry pies on a table with a shimmering, white table cloth.

"This is so good, Simon!" said Anna with glee, "This is the best apple pie I've had in years!"

"What were you expecting?" asked a grinning Simon, "There aren't any boxed foods at this party, nor will there be any at your wedding reception." Simon cheerfully left the room as Angel sat down next to Anna.

"So, you're sure you want to get married at the Gardev church?" asked an excited Aurora.

"Why shouldn't I?" asked Anna happily, "Isn't that where you, Dad, Mack, Aura, Fredrick and Sakura all got married, too?"

"You want to keep that little tradition going, don't you?" asked Aurora with a bright smile. Anna giggled and nodded her head.

"Speaking of tradition," said Angel as she grinned at the hopeful bride to be, "Would you like to try on your wedding dress now?" Anna's eyes opened wide with great excitement.

"Oh, I would love to!" exclaimed Anna, getting the complete and undivided attention of her guests.

"What's going on again?" asked one of the female Gardevoirs.

"Anna just wants to try on her wedding dress," said Angel as an embarrassed Anna blushed deeply, "Would you all like to see it?" To say the least, the other Gardevoirs were very eager to see what the young princess of Olympus would get to wear on her wedding day. Angel gently held onto Anna's left hand.

"How about you and Aurora come with me?" asked Angel. The mother and daughter smiled, stood up and followed Angel out of the conference room. There, in the middle of the hallway, stood William as he waited patiently for Anna.

"Oh! Hello you little cutie," said a happy Anna as she bent over to get a closer look at the furry and friendly rodent, "What brings you here?"

"Well, you remember how I volunteered to be the ring bearer at your wedding, right?" asked William with some hesitation.

"I remember," replied a smiling Anna, "So, is there something you wanted to ask me?"

"I wanted to ask you if there is anything else you would like me to do at your wedding," asked William, "Is there anything else I can do at all? Anything…?"

"You'll do anything?" asked the surprised bride to be. William was absolutely sure about this.

"You have my word," said William with determination, "I'll do anything to make that day special for you." Angel said nothing as Anna smiled deviously. Not only had William set up quite a trap, but he was about to fall into it head first. Anna just smiled as she reached out and tenderly stroked William on his head with her right hand.

"Okay, little friend," said Anna sweetly, "I'll keep that in mind." Angel managed to keep herself from laughing as she read Anna's thoughts: the young Gardevoir had something very nasty up her sleeves and it was just for the gullible and unwary Pikachu.

"Thank you, Anna!" said William happily.

"No," said Anna as she resumed her walk down the hallway with her mother and Angel, "Thank you." William sat down in the hallway and watched as Anna rounded a corner and then stepped into one of the open doors in the long corridor. William smiled, figuring he had done something very nice for Anna, even though he did not a single clue what he had just gotten himself into. Nevertheless, he scurried down the hallway and the joyful shout he heard from Anna down the corridor only added to his false sense of happiness and security. The day of Enrique and Anna's wedding, to say the least, would be one he would remember for the rest of his life. Meanwhile, Anna was in absolute awe and wonder as she slipped into her gorgeous wedding dress for the first time while standing behind a dressing screen. Soon, the wondrous dress was in place and Anna's mother had tenderly laced up the dress, tying the laces off in a nice bow. Anna stepped out from behind the dressing screen with a look of immense joy on her face as she gazed at herself in a large mirror.

"I see it fits you perfectly," said Angel with delight.

"Oh, my daughter is going to be so beautiful on her wedding day!" said Aurora with unbridled joy.

"Thanks to you," said a smiling Angel, "If you had not helped me with this design I would have had a much more difficult time getting the dress made and decorated."

"Just wait until Enrique sees you," giggled Aurora, "He'll be absolutely stunned to see his princess like this."

"I'm not even wearing my jewelry yet, either," said a grinning Anna as she took a good look at herself.

"That brings up another matter," said Aurora, still smiling happily, "Who do you want to cater your wedding feast?"

"Do you have any suggestions?" asked Anna. Aurora nodded and then glanced at Angel. The young, master Gardevoir seamstress nodded her head to an unspoken question as she opened the door to the small room. As soon as the dark oak door was open, three Pokémon walked into the room: one Kabutops and two other Gardevoirs. Anna smiled at the familiar Kabutops.

"I should have known," said a happy Anna.

"If you pick me, you can think of it as my wedding present to you and your mate," said Simon cheerfully.

"So, who should it be?" asked Aurora, "You get to decide this, Anna." Anna nodded and looked over the three Pokémon carefully.

"I'm one of the royal chefs, Vance," said Vance as he bowed politely towards Princess Anna, "I intend to prepare traditional, yet delightful dishes for your wedding feast. Lobster, Crabby and other sea foods are my specialty."

"Eli is my name," said the other chef with a polite bow towards Anna, "Tradition is also my game. I think you'll enjoy a selection of dishes made from beef, poultry and other meats all jazzed up with vegetables, splendid presentations and a vast array of herbs and spices. I will make your wedding feast a meal you'll surely remember for the rest of you life."

"Same here," said a determined Vance. Anna was uncertain about the two royal chefs. Sure, they could prepare grand meals, but their suggested menus were not really what she had in mind. Simon looked into Anna's eyes as she glanced back and forth between him and the Gardevoir chefs. He grinned, knowing just how he could secure his position as Anna's caterer.

"I, however, have other ideas," said Simon confidently, "Tradition is good. Nevertheless, Anna; my main aim is to please her majesty and her new prince with whatever they want: no questions asked." Simon smiled at the other chefs, savoring the looks of absolute horror on their faces.

"Surely her highness would prefer what I've proposed," said Vance nervously. Eli nodded his head in agreement. Simon faced the other chefs.

"Still, wouldn't you agree that the bride should have the complete choice and the final say in what her feast is going to feature?" asked Simon, "It's going to be HER special day and whoever gets the catering job needs to tend to her tastes and preferences, no matter what they are."

"Simon, you get the job," said Anna nonchalantly.

"You have good taste, as always," said Simon, suddenly remembering who he was dealing with, "…Well… most of the time." Angel, Aurora and Anna all laughed as the other chefs left the room, chuckling to themselves.

"I'll let you know my menu of choice tomorrow, Simon," said a delighted Anna.

"Very well," said Simon, wondering what he had just gotten himself into. Now both Simon the Kabutops and William the Pikachu were in Anna's cruel clutches. Best of all for Anna, neither of the Pokémon had any idea of what to expect in the days ahead.

**-66-**

The sun had slowly risen over the mountainous horizon with brilliant, fiery colors. The spectacular sky around Gardev almost seemed to herald the arrival of a very grand spectacle: Enrique and Anna's wedding day. Mack and Aura were enjoying the early morning hours together as they helped each other get dressed in their shimmering and shining wedding attire. Mack was already wearing his jewel encrusted dress, white satin slippers and his ornate, white cape. Aura was humming the wedding march to herself as Mack tenderly laced up her dress once again. As soon as Mack had threaded the soft laces through their golden loops and tied them off in a nice bow, there was some soft scratching at the bedroom door.

"Come on in, William," said a cheerful Mack just before the door creaked open, revealing a smiling Pikachu.

"Good morning, Mack and Aura!" exclaimed William with delight as he scurried into the room. Mack carefully secured the two buttons on Aura's collar.

"Good morning, you little cutie," giggled Aura.

"You have no idea," said William as he grinned at his Gardevoir owners, "You can't make me wear a bow to the wedding this time and there's nothing you can do about it!"

"Is that so?" said Aura as she placed her hands on her waist, "You know that means we're going to have to sick Anna on you."

"Not a problem," said a very confident and unafraid William, "Anna told me just yesterday that she has something special planned for me today. Sorry guys, but you can't use Anna as a threat this time. " Mack and Aura said nothing. The Guardians glanced at each other, trying not to laugh and were by no means going to warn their imperiled friend.

"Well, I'm going to go get some breakfast," said William happily as he walked nonchalantly out of the room, "And judging by the smells coming from the kitchen, breakfast is going to be quite the treat today." William softly closed the door behind him, leaving the perplexed Guardians in their bedroom.

"I think William may have dabbled into far more than he realizes," chuckled Mack, "You think we should warn him?"

"Personally, I think we should just let him suffer," said Aura, smiling mischievously at her mate, "Then, he'll never complain about wearing a bow or dressing up ever again."

"So I see," said Mack, smiling as Aura sat down at her vanity, "A wise husband takes his wife's counsel to heart. Besides, I like your idea quite a bit, my devious princess."

"I knew you'd agree," giggled Aura as Mack helped his mate put on her jewelry and ornate lace veil. Meanwhile, Agatha was working hard on breakfast as usual. The delighted chef wanted to prepare something special today as this would be Anna's last meal as a single Gardevoir. Alexander, Aurora, Glacian, Gloria, Fredrick and Sakura eventually emerged from their guest rooms in the mansion and soon were all sitting down at the massive, dark oak table on the mansion's main dining room. Warren was there too and was quite glad that Mack had managed to patch up the large hole in the very fine oak dining room table. Though the kitchen door had been blown off its hinges from a considerable explosion and the door had been embedded several inches into the fancy table, not a scratch or even a single trace remained to remind anyone of that memorable day. The three married couples were all in their glamorous wedding attire and were sitting quietly as Anna, Ramirez and Angel all entered into the room and proceeded to sit down at the table.

"Breakfast will be ready soon!" said a joyful Agatha, "I made something special, just for the happy bride to be!" As soon as Agatha had finished her sentence, Mack and Aura entered into the dining room, hand in hand. It was then when the Guardians noticed something different about Alexander and Aurora.

"Let me guess," said Mack with delight as he and Aura sat down to the table, side by side, "You two let Angel get her clutches on your wedding attire too?" Alexander and Aurora laughed warmly: their wedding dresses were now just like Mack and Aura's except that their dresses were decorated with small diamonds as opposed to the colorful and much larger gems on the Guardian's more stunning wedding attire.

"Good morning," said Aura with a bright smile as the Gardevoirs greeted one another with friendly voices.

"Yes," said Angel happily, "Glacian and Gloria insisted I redo their great grandchildren's wedding dresses, too."

"I want all the married members of my family to be some of the most beautiful among other married couples in their wedding attire," said Glacian with happiness, "Anyone who sees you in your fabulous attire will know you're very important."

"Speaking of which, thank you very much, Angel," said an elated Anna, "I couldn't have dreamed of a more beautiful wedding dress!" Angel smiled at the young bride to be and then turned her gaze upon Ramirez, who smiled and blushed at her. It was then when Agatha walked into the room, carrying breakfast on a large, silver platter. She happily hummed the wedding march with excitement and joy as she carefully placed the silver platter onto the table.

"For the beautiful bride to be and all her family…!" declared Agatha with pride, "…I've made French toast, stuffed with sweet cream cheese, we have russet potato hash browns and fresh sausage! There's coffee, milk, herbals teas and several kinds of juice if any of you would like something to drink. Plus, there's fresh, whipped butter, some preserves and pure maple syrup for the French toast. Enjoy!"

"I should have hired you ages ago," said an amazed Warren.

"You're darn right!" laughed Agatha as she left the dining room. Warren and his Gardevoir friends eagerly ate their breakfast.

"This is wonderful!" said Anna with immense delight as she savored a bite of the fresh, French toast, "But I would rather have had ice cream." Anna just grinned and the other Gardevoirs glanced nervously at each other all after they heard a loud metallic "Bang!" from the kitchen.

"I'm just kidding!" shouted a smiling Anna.

"Since it's your wedding day, I'm going to let it slide this time!" yelled Agatha from the kitchen with loud laughter, "I'll see you later, my dear! I've never seen a Gardevoir wedding before, so I sure don't want to miss it!" It wasn't long until the Gardevoirs and the old mayor of Gardev had finished off the marvelous breakfast. The time was now 9:30 and the wedding would begin at noon. At that point, Anna, Alexander, Aurora, Glacian, Gloria, Ramirez and Angel left for the Gardev church to get Anna dressed up and ready for one of the most wonderful days she would ever have. William tagged along too, following happily behind the group of delighted Gardevoirs with absolutely no clue on what was about to happen to him.

**-67-**

Simon, on the other hand, knew very well what he was dealing with. As promised, Anna had given him and Agatha the menu for the upcoming wedding feast. Simon had snorted with contempt when his suspicions were confirmed: Anna had requested a long list of decadent deserts. Simon was not surprised at all and knew very well that Anna loved sweets. The main course is what had caught his attention: cheeseburgers and French fries. Simon did not want to admit it, but in all his years as a chef, he had never learned how to make such a trivial and common dish. Agatha could see Simon's frustration by the look on his face.

"You give up too easily, Simon," cackled Agatha as she lined up a surprising array of ingredients on a nearby counter. The time was 10:10 AM and Simon and Agatha were well on their way to getting the food ready for the reception. All that remained was the main course, the only part of the meal that Simon dreaded.

"This is absurd," grumbled Simon, "Besides, how on earth can someone turn a cheeseburger into something grand?" Agatha cackled again and smiled at the sullen Kabutops.

"You just need the right stuff," said Agatha proudly as she stepped aside and let Simon get a good, long look at her impressive arsenal, "Let's see: I have truffles, imported from France, white truffle oil, various cheeses and all of them imported from Europe. The buns are in the ovens and also made from the finest ingredients and spices I could muster. To top it all off, I have the usual condiments and fried portabella mushrooms for anyone who doesn't want truffles. The meat is the finest, ground sirloin or steak I could find in the Alakaz markets. Trust me, the wedding guests won't see it coming, but they'll be dining on the finest cheeseburgers ever made in the Gardev region."

"Sheesh…" said Simon, "What would you say each burger would normally cost, if I may please know?"

"Oh, about 500 per plate," replied Agatha, much to Simon's surprise, "And that's not including the French fries. Only the finest and most expensive potatoes, oils and spices for my French fries!" Simon was stunned.

"That… is most impressive…" said an astonished Simon.

"My secret recipe, too," said Agatha with a wink, "It took me several years to weed out the bugs, but that dish was always my biggest hit with casual diners. I find it funny that people would actually pay 600 per person to savor the finest cheeseburgers and fries in all of Gardev, maybe the world."

"Then Enrique and Anna's wedding feast is going to be one to remember after all," said Simon with a smile, feeling better.

"You bet it will!" said Agatha with warm laughter, "Now, I'll get the meat ready and I'll show you how to make the best burgers you'll ever taste." While Simon was feeling overjoyed to be working under such a talented and kind chef, William was screaming as loud as he could when Anna showed the terrified Pikachu what he was going to wear for the day.

"No!!" shouted William, "You can't make me wear that!"

"Oh, yes you are!" said Anna with sadistic laughter, "You gave me your word that you would do anything to help make my wedding day even more special, so this is what you get to do." William could not believe how easily he had been trickled. Now, he was going to have to wear not just a pink bow on his head, but custom-made pink slippers as well as frilly, fluffy pink dress.

"They're all your size, William," giggled Anna as she held out the dress to the mortified Pikachu, "Angel spent weeks making these for you, so you'd best be respectful and let the master seamstress see the results of her hard work."

"Now way!" said William defiantly as he stuck his tongue out at Anna. Despite his cruel fate, William was hoping he could somehow complain enough to get out of wearing a dress to the wedding. After all, he knew Anna could just use her psychic powers to either keep him floating in the air while she got him dressed or could simply teleport the offending clothes onto him. Simon had overheard the commotion all the way from the kitchen. He set off to investigate why William was being so loud and so frantic. He got his answer when he opened the door to one of the church's conference rooms as laid eyes on the pink and fluffy attire that Anna had picked out for him.

"Simon!" said William with relief, "Get me out of here!" Simon grinned mischievously at William. Now the little rodent was going to pay for his ignorance.

"Tell me, Anna," said Simon as he walked into the room, "Did William promise he would to do anything to make your wedding day all the more memorable?"

"Yes he did," replied Anna with a bright smile.

"So I see," said Simon as he glanced at William, "Then you're stuck William and have to do what she says."

"WHAT?!" howled William as loud as he possibly could.

"To go back on your word would be most dishonorable," said Simon as his massive claws shone brightly, "And you know I'll never tolerate that." William gulped and then glanced at Simon and then at his new, fluffy prison.

"Okay…" grumbled William, "I'll do it…"

"That's a good Pikachu," said Simon mockingly as he left the room and gently closed the door behind him. William looked up at Anna with pleading eyes, but it was too late. Anna smiled as she picked William off the floor with both her hands and set him gently on a nearby table.

"At least I'm not making you wear makeup or jewelry," said Anna, "Otherwise; you would be wearing earrings, bracelets and a tiara at the very least." William sighed loudly, not relieved in the very least by this news as he stepped into the pile of pink fluff that was going to be his attire for the day. Anna couldn't be happier as she pulled the soft dress up William's body, helped him put his arms into the small, puffed sleeves and then tied up the small, pink laces to close the back of the dress's bodice. William looked up at the ceiling as Anna put the slippers on his feet and tied them tightly in place. The whole ensemble was complete was Anna clipped a large, shimmering pink bow into the short fur on the depressed Pikachu's head.

"There!" said Anna with great delight, "You're all set to go and you look oh so pretty!"

"Yay…" grumbled William as Anna looked him over.

"Now, twirl for me," ordered Anna with a soft voice. William snorted and then twirled on his tiptoes. Anna giggled with glee as the soft petticoats under the dress rustled.

"Does this dress make me look fat?" asked William sarcastically.

"Nope!" answered a smiling Anna, "You look perfect."

"Now, I have to wear this for the entire day, right?" asked William with dread. Anna smiled and nodded her head.

"Just for the day," said a cheerful Anna, "And for tolerating this, I'll have a little treat for you when the day is over, so long as you don't complain or try anything stupid."

"Very well," said William with a heavy sigh as Anna took him up in her arms.

"If only you had been a little Ralts," giggled Anna, "Then you would actually like this."

"Yeah, yeah…" grumbled William, "Can I go now?"

"Not quite," said Anna as she gently set the angry Pikachu back on the floor. Before William could realize what was happening, Anna had reached behind his back and clipped a small padlock on the laces of the dress.

"Now you can go," said a happy Anna.

"Thanks…" said William with a scowl as he stormed out of the room. Anna smiled as she clipped the key on a gold chain and put the glimmering necklace on around her neck.

"Now, I should go get dressed too. Angel and Aurora will be waiting for me," thought a blissful Anna as she left and then locked the small conference room door tight. Meanwhile, her mate to be was already dressed up in his wedding attire. Carl and Samantha could not have been more delighted as they gazed at their son in his wedding dress and ornate, flowing cape.

"Our son is going to be a prince," giggled a happy Samantha.

"We're so proud of you," said Carl with joy, "Taking a mate is a big and wonderful step for any young Gardevoir." Enrique was wearing a dress much like Mack's, down to the decorative embroidery, except his dress was not adorned with any gems. Nevertheless, Enrique's dress was something most Gardevoir grooms or even Gallades could only dream about.

"Mom, dad…" said a very nervous Enrique, "…I'm scared."

"So was I when I got married," said Carl reassuringly, "It's nothing unusual."

"When Carl saw me coming down the aisle to finally become his mate, all his anxiety and fear disappeared," said Samantha with a bright smile, "I'll never forget the look on his face."

"I'm… just worried…" said Enrique with great hesitation, "About my… wedding night…"

"I see," said Carl softly, "I understand how you feel."

"Well, it's not about Anna and I going to bed together for the first time," said Enrique, blushing deeply, "I'm afraid of what might happen when I get my… wings."

"You don't have to be afraid," said Samantha tenderly as she lovingly embraced her only child, "You heard what the other members of the royal family said: when the wings are born there is no pain. Nothing horrific happens either, it just feels weird and you feel very weak until the wings come forth. After that, you will have a wonderful gift that nearly all other Gardevoirs will never get to have and experience. Most importantly, you will be a member of the royal family of Olympus and have a beautiful princess to stand with you for the rest of your life."

"Thanks you, Mom…" said Enrique as a single tear of joy streamed down his face.

"I have an idea," said Carl with renewed joy, "I think I know just the thing to help you." Enrique smiled, feeling his courage renewed as his father pulled out the pair of ornate Japanese swords from a nearby closet.

"I thought we said he shouldn't wear those swords to the wedding," said Samantha.

"I think you can agree that our son needs all the help he can get," said Carl as he hastily put the white belt with its two swords around Enrique's waist.

"Good point," said Samantha happily, "You're right, my love." She could sense Enrique's feelings as he was reunited with his ornate and shining swords.

"This is going to be a first," said Carl happily, "I think our son is going to be the first male Gardevoir married with fine weapons on his possession."

"Thank you so much, Mom and Dad!" said Enrique with immense confidence as he embraced his overjoyed parents.

"You're very welcome, my son," said Carl.

"You're welcome, Enrique," said Samantha as she started to cry with great happiness. The two delighted parents and their eager son held each other for several joyful minutes before they finally broke their embrace.

"Well, what should I do now?" asked Enrique.

"Well my son, you should head to the sanctuary and up to the altar to await the arrival of your bride," said a smiling Carl, "Samantha and I need to get dressed and then we'll be right there in the front row to watch."

"Thank you again," said Enrique as he slowly left the room, holding his shimmering and decorated skirt with his left hand. Carl and Samantha let out a blissful sigh, watching as their son left the room in his wedding splendor.

"If our son is dressed up so beautifully, then I can only imagine how well adorned the bride is going to be," giggled Samantha and Carl closed the door to the room. As the proud Gardevoirs helped each other into their own wedding dresses, their son's bride to be was almost ready herself. Aurora was standing behind Anna in her new wedding attire, tenderly lacing up her daughter's wedding dress. Aurora had easily spent the last several minutes, slowly getting Anna's dress, slippers, lace veil, jewelry and the decorated garter together: she was savoring the moment as she tied off the soft, white laces in a bow and then fastened the pair of buttons on the back of Anna's stand up collar.

"You sure are taking your time," remarked a giggling Anna, "Not that I'm complaining or anything."

"I have to," said Aurora with a bright on her face, "You may very well be the last bride I'm ever going to get to help out on her wedding day like this."

"I can understand that," said Anna with glee as she slowly stepped away from her mother and took another good, long look at herself in a large, nearby mirror. The dress was a lot like Aura's, but instead of diamonds, the fine embroidery was accented with hundreds of ½ Karat pink tourmaline gemstones. The buttons on the back of her collar was made of pink tourmaline, too. Angel sat in a chair at the back wall of the room, relishing the sight of her completed work.

"I just love pink!" giggled Anna with sheer delight, "Oh, Angel, thank you so much for making this wonderful dress for me!"

"My pleasure," said a smiling Angel, "In fact, I just saw your mate to be go down the hallway before I came in here."

"Oh! What was he wearing?" asked Anna eagerly.

"You know the tradition," said Aurora as she led Anna to a stool in front of a vanity, "The bride and groom don't get to see each other's wedding attire until moments before they are married." Anna stared into the vanity's mirror and sat still for many more minutes while Aurora helped her beloved daughter with her jewelry. The bracelets, anklets, earrings were all made out of gold and were adorned with 2 karat pink tourmaline stones. The tiara also had pink tourmaline, but the pink stones were alternating with large, glistening diamonds. Anna patiently sat still as her loving mother got all of her jewelry in place. Eventually, Anna was finally ready to go to the sanctuary when Aurora gently placed the beautiful tiara and lace veil into her daughter's soft, green hair. Anna stood up and took one last look at herself in the mirror: this would be the last time she would ever gaze at herself in a mirror as a single Gardevoir.

"Angel, it's time we went to the sanctuary," said Aurora happily as she tightly embraced Anna, "As for you, my lovely daughter, Alexander will be coming for you shortly. So, you'd best prepare yourself for what awaits you today." Anna giggled and smiled as she blushed deeply. Aurora smiled at Anna and slowly closed the door to the room as Anna sat down on the vanity's stool. She couldn't help but admire herself in the mirror. Suddenly, Anna remembered something she had nearly forgotten.

"I almost forgot my katana and wakizashi!" thought Anna as she frantically opened a nearby closet and removed the white belt with its Japanese blades in tow. Slowly and tenderly, she put the belt on around her waist and under the soft, lace veil. She then stood in front of the large mirror and swiftly drew the shimmering katana out of its golden scabbard. It was quite a sight to see Anna standing there in all her wedding splendor, standing in a battle stance with a deadly Japanese sword held out, ready to strike. She gripped the katana tightly in her hands and with one quick, fluid motion, slid the glimmering blade back into its ornate scabbard. She continued to gaze at her beautiful dress and jewelry in the mirror, waiting patiently for her father to come and take her to the sanctuary and, most importantly, to Enrique, her prince to be.


	19. Section 19

The Village Guardians

**-68-**

The time was now 11:55 AM and the wedding would start in only a matter of minutes. It was another pleasant, sunny day in Gardev: the bright sunlight was streaming through the immense and colorful stain glass windows. The residents of Gardev would never have even dreamed of missing another extravagant wedding, so they all came to the immense church, ready to witness Enrique and Anna's marriage with hundreds of Gardevoirs and other Pokémon. Mack, Aura, Fredrick, Sakura and Aurora were all sitting in the front pew as the other wedding guests talked quietly amongst themselves. Angel was sitting behind the royal family members with Andrew, Karen, Wallace and Jean. All the married Gardevoir couples were in their wedding attire, as demanded by tradition. Andrew and Karen had never been to a Gardevoir wedding before and were amazed by all the couples in their beautiful white dresses and sparkling jewelry.

"This is like a scene from a fairy tale," giggled Karen happily as she leaned against her loving mate, "Everyone is here, dressed up in their best and most beautiful clothes."

"That's because Gardevoirs hold marriage in very high regard," said Angel quietly as she smiled at her mother, "It's both an honor and a grand responsibility to have a mate."

"Not to mention wonderful," said Jean with a cheerful voice as she held hands with Wallace.

"And we're going to get to watch you and Ramirez get married next year, too," said Andrew eagerly.

"I can't wait…" said Angel with a blissful sigh.

"That makes two of us," said Ramirez as he turned around, getting yet another good look at his bride to be. Angel smiled and blushed at her handsome mate to be. Once again, Xavier had to poke his head and long neck through an open window in order to get a decent view of the wedding. Despite the pleasant atmosphere, the great Lugia was in a foul mood.

"Sometimes I hate being so big…" muttered Xavier. Meanwhile, Eric, Alvin, Cecil, Andre and David were sitting in the same pew as Angel and her relatives near one of the stain glass windows.

"I remember how much fun we had last year at Fredrick and Sakura's wedding," said a happy Eric, "Makes me wonder what kind of surprises are in store for us this time." Though his comrades were very happy and very delighted to be at this wedding, Alvin was somewhat sullen as he reclined against the back of the dark wooden pew. The two groups of six Alakazams sat behind the five, former Cipher agents.

"What's troubling you, my friend?" asked Thanatos quietly to his former trainer.

"Maybe it's nothing," whispered Alvin as he sat up straight, "But I have this foreboding feeling that something is dreadfully wrong." Thanatos nodded his head.

"Is it about the wedding?" asked Thanatos.

"No…" replied Alvin with concern, "It's about something elsewhere. It's like something is beaconing me to return to and explore the remains of my old Cipher base near Alakaz."

"We can help you check it out," said Cecil with a friendly tone of voice, "Maybe the Guardians would like to help as well?"

"Maybe they will," said Alvin as he shrugged his shoulders.

"Enough of this gloomy chatter," said David forcefully, "The ceremony is about to begin." Enrique was standing up in front of the altar just in front of the pulpit, eagerly awaiting the arrival of his princess bride with great anticipation. Once again, Simon stood with the hopeful groom as the best man while Glacian and Gloria sat in a pair of ornate, wooden chairs behind the pulpit, waiting patiently to begin the ceremony.

"You think everything is ready, my dear?" asked Gloria quietly.

"Most definitely," said Glacian as he looked at Enrique, "And I can tell that the groom is completely confident about marrying Anna." Gloria smiled at her husband. Aurora was sitting on the front pew as well between Alexander and Mack.

"I hope Anna didn't forget her new swords," said a worried Aurora, "She was really looking forward to getting married with her katana and wakizashi at her side."

"Heh!" laughed Mack quietly, "Then any minute now, Anna, the warrior princess, is going to walk down the aisle, eh?" Aurora erupted with warm laughter.

"I do remember that Alexander and I were originally going to name her Xena," giggled Aurora, "But we liked the name of 'Anna' a lot more, so that is what we decided on." Mack glanced up at Enrique as he stood still and patiently in his shimmering and sparkling wedding dress.

"His wedding attire is just like mine," remarked Mack.

"Minus all the gems and the swords," giggled Aura, "Oh, Anna is going to be in for such a surprise when she sees Enrique." Carl and Samantha, Enrique's proud parents sat in the front pew on the right side of the sanctuary, admiring their son and holding each other close and tightly. The other wedding guests continued to wait for the bride to arrive at the sanctuary as time ticked on. It wasn't much later when Alexander and Anna arrived at the large doors to the sanctuary. The proud father had his right arm linked with Anna's left arm. He could not have been any happier for his beautiful daughter. William let out a heavy sigh as he stepped in front of the young bride and her father. Once again, Mei-lin the Mawile had agreed to be the flower girl for another wedding. Instead of just a pink bow, she now wore a dress and slippers much like William's, except the dress was made for the body shape of a Mawile. Li glanced back at William, wondering what was going on.

"Is there something wrong with him today?" thought Li. He shrugged his shoulders and returned his attention to Mei-lin.

"Here you go, William," said Alexander, trying his best not to burst out laughing as he handed a small, red velvet pillow with Enrique and Anna's wedding bands resting on it to the cross-dressing Pikachu. William nodded his head with another heavy sigh as he took the soft pillow from Alexander.

"Hey, Li," whispered Mei-lin as she glanced back at the Pikachu as it stood still, thoroughly embarrassment in its fluffy pink dress, "I thought a boy was always the ring bearer."

"Um…that's actually William," chuckled Li. Mei-lin took another quick glance at William with a look of shock on her face.

"I didn't know he liked dresses," remarked a confused Mei-lin.

"Same here," said Li quietly. William could clearly hear the Mawiles' conversation with his sensitive ears.

"This is going to be a loooong day…" grumbled William as Mei-lin giggled and picked up a basket that was filled to the brim with soft, pink rose petals. Alexander glanced at his beautiful, blushing and smiling daughter.

"Are you ready for this, Anna?" asked Alexander tenderly. Anna closed her eyes, smiled and nodded her head. Meanwhile, Glacian stood up from his chair and approached the pulpit.

"Are you ready, Enrique?" asked Glacian softly and with a bright, friendly smile. Enrique nodded his head in reply.

"Then let us begin," said Glacian happily. He glanced at Jake who was sitting at the large, glimmering pipe organ. He smiled and nodded as he started to play some familiar, light music. Alexander and Anna stepped out of sight as a pair of Gallades opened the back doors. William frowned as he walked slowly down the aisle in his frilly pink dress. Needless to say, the wedding guests were confused and bewildered at this sight. Mack looked over his left shoulder and down the aisle when he heard the other wedding guests chattering. One look at the pretty Pikachu was all Mack needed to see to know what was transpiring.

"William…" muttered Mack to himself as he slowly shook his head back and forth, "What did Anna trick you into this time?" William was sullen and held his head low out of shame and immense embarrassment until he laid eyes on Mack. William had not seen Mack's new jewel-encrusted wedding dress before and the look of absolute horror on the Guardian's face seemed to clench William's suspicions.

"Sheesh…" thought William, "Look at all that embroidery and all those gems on Mack's wedding dress. Looks like I'm actually getting off pretty easy today!" Mack continued to stare at William as the dress-wearing Pikachu now approached the altar with a content smile on his face while laughing quietly to himself. Mack was not going to bother to even try to find out what was on the demented rodent's mind. Mei-lin happily walked down the aisle with Li at her side, scattering the pink rose petals as she went while the two Gallades at the back of the sanctuary closed the large doors. All the people and Pokémon stood up and faced the back doors for soon, the bride would emerge. Enrique looked down at William with concern, wondering why the cross-dressing rodent was smiling and laughing softly to himself. Enrique glanced at Glacian who just shrugged his shoulders in reply to an unspoken question. The revered silence filled the immense sanctuary for what seemed like hours until Jake cracked his knuckles, placed his fingers on the organ's antique ivory keyboard and started to play the wedding march. The back doors opened wide, revealing Anna and Alexander as they slowly approached the altar. Mack glanced back and forth at Enrique and Anna: they were both smiling and blushing deeply at each other as they came ever closer to each other with every passing moment. As the young, delighted bride walked towards her elated groom, Mei-lin glanced nervously at William one last time. Anna could hear the other Gardevoirs talking to each other quietly about her and Enrique's wedding attire: they were all amazed and delighted at the sight of such a well dressed bride and groom. Still, some of them were downright confused and somewhat worried when they noticed the two decorated scabbards with the ornate hilts of a pair of Japanese swords sticking out of the hard sheaths.

"Well, well…" thought Simon with joy as he marveled at Enrique and Anna, "…A pair of young and powerful warriors are about to be married: happily locked together for the rest of their lives." Time seemed to pass at a slow crawl for the young lovers and then, finally, Alexander had stopped at the altar with his overjoyed daughter at his side. Glacian looked down from the pulpit and smiled happily at his great grandson and beautiful, great-great granddaughter as Jake ended the song at the organ.

"Who gives this female Gardevoir…" said Glacian loudly as he glanced at Anna and then at Enrique, "…to this male Gardevoir?"

"I do," said Alexander with pride as he handed his daughter's left hand to Enrique. The lovers smiled and blushed as they stared into each others eyes and held hands. They slowly turned their heads to face Glacian.

"Dearly beloved," declared Glacian loud enough so all could hear him, "We are gathered here on this most joyous occasion to bear witness to Enrique and Princess Anna as they enter together into holy wedlock." Anna giggled with sheer delight.

"Before we begin, if anyone has any good reason why these two should not be wed, than speak now or forever hold your peace!" warned Glacian. Then, without warning, Anna let go of Enrique's hands and drew both of her shining swords and stood in an aggressive battle stance.

"That means it is time for all of you to stay quiet!" warned Anna with a stern, yet surprisingly playful tone of voice.

"They shouldn't be married because Anna is insane!" laughed William. Anna grinned at William as she slid the pair of blades back into their golden scabbards and while the congregation erupted with loud laughter.

"You should talk, pretty boy!" snapped Anna with a fiendish smile. Glacian shook his head back and forth and chuckled to himself as the congregation soon quieted down.

"I would have expected nothing less form you, Anna," said a grinning Glacian, "However, tradition does state that the bride and groom be holding hands as they make their vows."

"Oh, right," said Anna sheepishly as Enrique held her hands in his own again. The people and Pokémon laughed quietly to themselves as Glacian again spoke up.

"Enrique and Princess Anna, there are great responsibilities for being a part of and marrying into the Olympus royal family," said Glacian, "Enrique and Anna, the vows you are about to make must not be taken lightly. As for you, Enrique, when you and Anna become mates you will be named prince. As a member of the royal family, it is your duty to use your authority to help and serve others. Most importantly, should there come a time when Mack, Aura, Fredrick and Sakura are unable to continue as Guardians of Gardev, you must take up the mantel of guardianship of the village of Gardev." Enrique nodded his head confidently.

"I understand," said Enrique with determination.

"And…" continued Glacian, "Since you are marrying into the royal family, you are required to continue the royal bloodline through Anna. Do you understand what this means?"

"I understand and accept these responsibilities," declared Enrique. Glacian nodded his head a few times.

"As noted," said Glacian as he faced the young bride and groom with a stern look on his face, "Having accepted the responsibilities that go with being a member of the royal family, you may now exchange vows with your bride." The wedding guests sat still in revered silence as Enrique and Anna declared their vows to each other. Alexander and Aurora held each other tightly as they witnessed the marriage of their last daughter. Mack and Aura as well as Fredrick and Sakura, sat still as well, enjoying the tender moments. Before long, the bride and groom had finished making their vows. With the exchange of golden rings, the ceremony was almost complete and the young Gardevoirs now belonged to each other.

"With this ring, I thee wed," said Anna with joy as she slid the last golden over her husband's finger. The two Gardevoirs held hands once again and faced Glacian.

"With the exchange of your vows, your rings and Enrique's acceptance of his royal duties, by the power vested in me, I now name you, Enrique and Anna as mates!" declared Glacian as the bride and groom stared and smiled at each other.

"Prince Enrique, you may now kiss your bride, Princess Anna," said Glacian. Everyone in the sanctuary cheered loudly as Enrique and Anna wrapped their arms around each other and then kissed for the first time. The other married Gardevoir couples couldn't help but kiss their beloved mates as well. Minutes passed before the blushing Gardevoir bride and groom broke their long, passionate kiss.

"There is one more thing you two must do before your marriage ceremony is complete," said Glacian as Simon picked up and put a stool behind Enrique, "Prince Enrique, please sit down." Enrique nodded his head and sat down on the stool as Gloria presented the familiar, ornate dagger with its decorated sheath to her husband. Glacian smiled at Anna as he handed her the dagger.

"Enrique, as you know, all who marry into the royal family from now on will receive majestic wings, a wonderful gift upon their wedding night," said Glacian as he faced the smiling bride, "Anna, it is your duty to prepare your mate's dress for tonight." Anna grinned at Enrique as she unsheathed the dagger and skillfully twirled the small blade in her right hand a few times. Now the young prince was getting very worried as Glacian removed the ornate, white cape from his back.

"Just hold still, honey," giggled Anna with an evil grin on her face as she slowly walked towards a very nervous Enrique, "This won't hurt a bit!" Enrique faced away from Anna, offering the back of his wedding dress to her with a look of great dread and immense fright on his face. The wedding guests, all holding back their laughter, had been informed of this new tradition and somehow, Enrique had not been told what to expect. However, his feelings of anxiety soon vanished in an instant the moment Anna bent over and whispered into his left ear.

"You know I'm just teasing you, honey," said Anna cheerfully and with a sweet, gentle voice, "Just hold still." Enrique smiled and closed his eyes as Anna stroked the soft fabric of his sparkling dress. Anna tenderly pulled on the back, left side of her mate's dress's bodice and carefully made a slow cut into the tough yet soft fabric. Anna released her hold on her mate's dress and did the same thing to the other side. Moments later, she had finished putting a pair of identical slits into the back of her prince's stunning wedding dress. Anna smiled as she put the dagger back in its sheath and handed it to Gloria while Glacian carefully clipped Enrique's cape back around his neck, draping the fine garment over the young prince's back.

"You may stand now," said Glacian. Enrique smiled and stood up as Simon whisked away the wooden stool. Anna smiled and came alongside her new mate.

"I'm looking forward to flying with you tomorrow," giggled Anna. Enrique smiled and nodded his head at his lovely princess. At last, the two lovers faced the congregation as the people and Pokémon erupted with thunderous cheering and applause.

"I now have the honor of presenting to you all, for the first time, Prince Enrique and Princess Anna as husband and wife!" declared Glacian with great joy and happiness. Jake smiled as he played the organ loudly while Enrique and Anna, smiling and blushing deeply at one another, marched down the aisle hand in hand. A delighted Mei-lin followed after the bride and groom with Li at her side. They looked back over their shoulders, still puzzled at William's… unorthodox, pink and fluffy attire.

"Last but not least…!" announced Glacian from the front of the sanctuary amidst the din of celebration, "Prince Enrique and Princess Anna would be honored if we would all join them in the church cafeteria for their celebratory banquet!" Of course, no one in the congregation was going to refuse such an offer.


	20. Section 20

The Village Guardians

**-69-**

The wedding guests were not quite sure what to make of the upcoming banquet. For Anna, with her close friends, family and loads of fancy deserts all in the same place, plus her handsome prince at her side, this was as good as heaven on earth for the young Gardevoir bride. Mack and Aura sat down at a large table with their family and, of course, with the bride and groom. Mack and Aura were sitting to the right of Alexander and Aurora who were sitting next to the bride and groom. Once again, the entire, large room had been thoroughly decorated for the celebration and the tables all had pink tablecloths with fine place settings. The same Gardevoir musicians from Fredrick and Sakura's wedding had gathered together to play soft and delightful music for the reception. Only one detail struck Mack and the other wedding guests as odd: at each place setting, there was a silver platter with an accompanying silver lid. From what Mack could gather, whatever was under the thick, silver lid was going to be the main course. He glanced to his left at another large table at the far end of the immense room as more people and Pokémon leisurely sat down in their seats. Mack was eying the desert table and in this case, it was more than aptly named. Chocolate cheesecake with gooey caramel, fresh vanilla ice cream and flourless tortes were just some of the alluring deserts, piled high on the far table.

"Were you expecting anything less from my sister?" asked Aura, grinning at her mate.

"She always had quite the sweet tooth," remarked Mack with a chuckled. Aura giggled as she leaned against Mack.

"Remember when she ate almost an entire crate of packaged deserts and other junk food?" asked Aura happily.

"How could I forget?" replied Mack with warm laughter, "She was sick for much of the night."

"It was worth it," said a smiling Anna from down the table, "And now I'm going to have a REAL feast today!" Simon and Agatha marched out of the adjoining kitchen as the rest of the people and Pokémon took their seats and quieted down.

"Princess Anna!" started Simon with pride, "It is Agatha's and my pleasure to present to you and Prince Enrique with the main course of the banquet. I think you'll find everything in order with your requests." Anna smiled and nodded appreciatively at the experience chefs.

"You may all now remove the covers from your meal," said Agatha, grinning with delight, "And don't let its appearance fool you." Agatha grinned at Simon as the wedding guests quickly removed the silver cover from their platters. To say the least, they were bewildered and confused to each find a rather large, steaming cheeseburger on their silver plates with a generous helping of hot, golden and crisp French fries. Anna smiled and giggled with glee.

"This is perfect! Thank you both very much!" exclaimed Anna with immense delight. Agatha smiled at the young bride.

"Just wait until you taste them," said Agatha happily as she and Simon left the dining hall, "Enjoy!" As Anna eagerly started to eat her cheeseburger, the other guests looked at the bride and then at each other, wondering why Anna had chosen such a simple dish for a wedding feast. The Gardevoir band stopped playing: they may have seen a lot of weddings and plenty of wedding feasts, but none of them had ever seen a meal at a wedding quite like this before. Even Glacian and Gloria were surprised at Anna's surprising and downright unorthodox decision.

"To be honest," said Glacian to his beautiful wife, "I expected to find brownies and chocolate bars on my plate, but this one still takes the cake!"

"I agree," said Gloria as she shrugged her shoulders, "I really expected Anna to at least have picked something more… fancy." The other Pokémon and people may have been downright puzzled at the choice of food, but Mack's trained senses picked up something he found to be quite a surprise. He glanced at Anna: she was savoring the cheeseburger while Enrique had only just picked up his burger and was staring at it with some contempt.

"I should have seen this coming…" thought Enrique, glancing at Anna with a bright smile. Mack picked up his cheeseburger in his hand and held it close to his face, carefully sniffing it.

"Hmmmm…" thought Mack, his keen, trained nose could easily detect what was on this surprisingly fancy cheeseburger, "These aren't ordinary, sautéed mushrooms; they're truffles! I can also smell white truffle oil and a menagerie of herbs and spices!" He took a big bite of the cheeseburger and let out a loud sigh of delight. This was easily the most expensive and most delicious cheeseburger he had ever tasted.

"It would appear that Anna, Simon and Agatha have played a trick on all of us," thought Mack with glee, laughing to himself, "I wouldn't be one bit surprised if this is one of Agatha's secret recipes." Next, he sampled some of the French fries. Aura glanced at her mate: he was smiling and thoroughly enjoying the extremely deceptive lunch.

"Do you know something we don't, dear?" asked Aura with a raised eyebrow. Mack just smiled at his beautiful wife.

"Take one bite of your burger and fries and everything will be made perfectly clear," said Mack softly as he chuckled warmly. Aura shrugged her shoulders and did as her mate had asked, taking a small bite out of the steaming burger. Aura almost jumped back when the wonderful flavors graced her tongue.

"Wow! This is good!" exclaimed Aura, drawing the undivided attention of all the silent and bewildered wedding guests.

"Did you honestly think I wanted a cheap lunch for you and all of Enrique and my guests?" asked Anna, "Please everyone, try your food and be prepared to be amazed." With that, the other wedding guests, with immense skepticism, finally tried their seemingly simple meal. Almost all at once, they started talking amongst themselves: none of them had expected this.

"Impressive, isn't it?" said a smiling Agatha with pride as she stepped out of the kitchen and into the middle of the large crowd, "You would never believe it just by looking at your burgers and fries, but this same dish cost 600 per plate in my restaurant back in Alakaz!" No one was laughing at the chef's statement, but it seemed that everyone was finally enjoying their unexpected meal. Fortunately for the wedding guests, everything was still quite hot and steaming. Now that the situation had gone from awkward to happy and pleasant, the Gardevoir musicians resumed their playing. William was sitting at the same table with Mack and Aura, but this time, he was not using a pile of large books as a booster seat. He was determined to stay out of sight and avoid any more unwanted attention. He wanted to run outside and unleash his electric fury on the soft, pink dress he still wore, but the Gardevoir fabrics would never have caught fire or burned.

"That crazy bride thought of everything…" muttered William angrily. With the dress tightly laced up and sealed with a tough padlock, he would not be free of his fluffy prison any time soon. Before long, the wedding guests had finished their delightful and flavorful meal. Mack was wiping the grease off his fingers with a pink, cloth napkin while he slowly gazed about the room, getting a better look at the wedding guests. He recognized many of them from last year, including a small group of single, unmarried Gardevoirs, who were still seeking to ambush Simon. His eyes soon fell on a lone Ralts, sitting at the end of one of the long tables. Mack did not understand how or why, but he could tell that this female Ralts was actually quite old. She had a serious look on her face and wore what appeared to be a soft black bow and ribbon around her neck. She had only just finished her lunch and glanced at Mack. She tenderly wiped off her fingers with a cloth napkin and smiled at him.

"Do I know her?" thought Mack. He shrugged his shoulders and returned his attention to Aura. She had just finished her last French fry and was reaching for her napkin.

"Here, my princess," said Mack sweetly as he reached over and picked up Aura's soft, pink napkin, "Allow me." The two Guardians stared deep into each other's eyes while Mack tenderly and softly wiped Aura's hands clean. Enrique and Anna were watching the Guardians closely.

"I want to try that, too," said Anna as she turned her gaze upon Enrique, "My prince, will you be so kind as to help me clean up my hands?" Enrique smiled and nodded his head. The newlyweds stared at each other longingly as they took turns cleaning the grease off each others hands with the soft napkins.

"I'm really starting to like being married to you," said Enrique happily. Anna just smiled as she leaned forward and quickly kissed Enrique right on his lips. The young lovers smiled and blushed at each other. A few more minutes passed by the time everyone had finished their lunch.

"Simon?" asked Agatha with a friendly smile, "Would you please clear the tables?" Simon nodded his head and his body started to glow with a bright white light. Moments later, the light faded and Simon now stood as a male Gardevoir once again.

"Is anyone looking?" asked Simon nervously. Agatha peeked around the corner of the kitchen doorway.

"All is clear," replied Agatha quietly.

"Perfect," said Simon as his eyes started to glow with a faint blue light. At that very moment, the silver platters and their accompanying lids disappeared with a bright flash, reappearing as a mountain of silver, towering up towards the ceiling in the twin sinks of the kitchen.

"Well, now what do we do?" asked Agatha. Simon said nothing as the silver trays and covers were lifted into the air, one by one. Soon, they were all floating in the air.

"Simple," said Simon, "I'm going to do the dishes." In a flurry of water, loads of bubbles, dozens of kitchen towels and flying, heavy silver, Simon managed to wash and dry every single silver platter and its cover.

"Well! That takes care of that!" said an amazed Agatha, "Now, how about you transform back into a Kabutops before someone sees you and please help me carry the cake out to the newlyweds."

"You don't have to tell me twice," said Simon nervously as he quickly changed back into his ancient Pokémon form, "Those young Gardevoirs see me like that and I'm history!"

"Do you really hate the idea of marriage that much?" asked Agatha as she grabbed onto the handle of a large tray. Resting on the heavy, silver tray was a three tiered chocolate cake, covered with thick, white, vanilla whipped frosting.

"You have no idea," grumbled Simon as he thrust both of his massive claws under the handle, "I'm not ready to settle down and probably never will! There's too much of this world I haven't seen yet and I don't need anyone holding me back."

"Who's to say that whoever you chose for a mate wouldn't love to travel with you around the world?" asked Agatha.

"It's no good," said Simon as he lifted the heavy cake off the counter with Agatha's help, "As long as that murderous snake is out there, we would never have a moment's peace."

"Who's out there that you're so afraid of?" asked Agatha with curiosity. Simon did not respond for several moments.

"I'll tell you another time," said Simon with a friendly smile, "Now then, let's get this little package out to the waiting bride and groom, shall we? Besides, I don't want my past getting in the way of such a nice day." Agatha smiled back at Simon and slowly marched out of the kitchen and into the cafeteria. Anna giggled with sheer delight as the two chefs brought the cake forward and soon gently set it on the table in front of the two newlywed Gardevoirs.

"It looks perfect!" said an elated Anna.

"Thank you both very much!" said Enrique happily.

"Our pleasure," said Simon with a polite bow.

"Enjoy and happy wedding!" said Agatha with a cheerful voice as she and Simon made their way back to the kitchen. Little time had passed when Enrique and his bride had cut the first slice together, using Enrique's katana. He wiped the frosting off the shining blade with another napkin and then slid the fine, ornate sword back into its scabbard. As Anna and Enrique gave each other a bite of the flavorful, moist cake, Anna finally realized why other Gardevoirs did not follow the human tradition of smashing it into each other's faces.

"This is actually kind of fun," thought Anna with happiness, "And even romantic."

"Learn anything, Anna?" asked a grinning Glacian. Anna giggled and nodded her head.

"Oh, Glacian, that reminds me," said Gloria. She leaned over towards her husband and whispered something into her ear. Glacian nodded his head while Mack took another look at the Ralts with the black bow and ribbon.

"There's something going on here, but I can't quite put my finger on it…" thought Mack as Glacian stood up. Another joyful and relaxing half an hour passed as the hundreds of people of Pokémon each enjoyed a slice of wedding cake.

"I think this cake is even better than last year's," remarked Sakura. Fredrick nodded at his mate.

"I agree with you on that," said a happy Fredrick, "Maybe Agatha's been getting better at cooking? Why, you do remember the breakfast we had this morning, right?"

"Of, course," giggled Sakura, "I guess it just proves that you can still get better and learn new things as you get older."

"I'll take that as a compliment," said Agatha, winking at the pair of Gardevoirs as she took away the empty silver platter and carried it by herself back to the kitchen. William had managed to discard his own paper plate and silver fork without drawing much attention. Everyone around him seemed convinced that he was just an overly dressed, female Pikachu.

"So far, so good…" thought William with a heavy sigh. At that moment, a folding chair was placed in front of the bride and groom's table. Glacian stood up, ready to make an announcement as Enrique and Anna came forward.

"Now for a few other little wedding traditions," said a delighted Glacian, addressing the wedding guests, "Now we shall have the bouquet and garter toss. Let's have all eligible, single female Pokémon come forward." With that, a few dozen Ralts, Kirlia, a few other Pokémon and Mei-lin walked into a large clearing in the middle of the room. The Ralts with the black bow walked up with the other female Pokémon. To Mack, she seemed disinterested in this little event and was only a part of the bouquet toss as per tradition. Mei-lin, on the other hand, was very excited and hoped she would catch the bouquet. Then, just maybe, Li would follow suit and snag the garter. Meanwhile, William had not quite managed to get back to his seat. Glacian looked down at the Pikachu in the fluffy, cute pink dress.

"Excuse me, Miss," said Glacian warmly, politely, yet very erroneously, "But you should also be a part of the bouquet toss." William growled at the Gardevoir king.

"I'm a guy, blast it all!!" shouted William. With great haste, he quickly jumped under the tablecloth and climbed back onto his seat, out of view as his scream of frustration and anger had gotten everyone's attention.

"Oh…" said Glacian sheepishly, "Sorry, William…" Anna grinned at William, whose black-tipped ears and pink bow were still visible over the top edge of the table.

"I shall always treasure that moment," thought Anna with a sadistic smile on her face as she put her back towards the eager, young Pokémon, "William, you could not have done a better job at making my wedding day all the more memorable." The young bride smiled as she threw the bouquet over her left shoulder and towards the young, excited Pokémon behind her. They all scrambled for the bouquet, some of them rushing towards it, others leaping into the air with hopes of intercepting the soft, pink roses. The uninterested Ralts stood still with her arms crossed, not even budging as the bouquet sailed over her head and right into the waiting, eager, toothy maw of Mei-lin. The young Mawile laughed happily, cradling the pink roses.

"Nice catch, Mei-lin!" exclaimed a smiling Li.

"Now you'd better get the garter," said Mei-lin with a grin as she and the other Pokémon dispersed back to their seats.

"Well done, Mei-lin!" said a delighted Glacian, "Now, may we please have all eligible, single male Pokémon come forward." William reluctantly walked into the clear area of the floor with Ramirez, Li and dozens of other Pokémon.

"What's with the Pikachu?" asked one of the young Kirlias with a sneer, "Girls aren't supposed to catch the garter."

"I'd be very careful if I were you," warned Li with his large maw slowing opening and closing, "That's William; he's the pet of the Guardians of Gardev."

"What?! This crossing-dressing Pikachu belongs to the Guardians of Gardev?!" exclaimed the surprised Kirlia.

"Remind me to laugh long and loud at your first ballet recital," said William sadistically, "As you prance around and fall flat on your face in your fluffy, white ballet attire!"

"Hey! I can dance!" snapped the Kirlia in defense.

"Is that so? Then why don't you have a girlfriend with you?" asked William with a sinister smile. The Kirlia said nothing.

"Now I really want that garter…" said the Kirlia with a sigh. Anna had just taken a seat in a folding chair, facing the young Pokémon. She was blushing and giggling quietly as Enrique knelt before her, gently removed her right slipper, gripped the font edge of her skirt and while he looked up, staring at Anna's face, he started to slowly lift up the young Gardevoir's skirt. The tulle petticoats rustled softly as Anna blushed deeply. Enrique moved slowly, savoring the once in a lifetime moment, reaching up Anna's fluffy, sparkling skirt with his right hand and tenderly wrapping his fingers around her soft, fluffy garter. The two lovers stared into each others eyes, smiling with delight as Enrique slowly pulled the soft garter off Anna's thigh and down her leg. Anna giggled as the soft garter graced her foot, then her toes as her loving mate finally pulled the garter off. Enrique slowly lowered Anna's skirt, lovingly put the white satin slipper back on her foot. Finally, Enrique stood up, and facing away from the single, young Pokémon, he threw the garter into the air with a hearty toss. Oddly enough, the other young Pokémon were dead set on not snatching up the garter. Now, Mei-lin was certain Li would get the garter; however, as usual, fate was about to throw a monkey wrench into the works. William was standing still, looking at the floor. Li was desperately trying to shove the sullen Pikachu out of the way, but William refused to move. Thus, the garter landed on William's head, tangling itself up in the pink bow and ribbon on his head. Glacian and the other guests erupted with laughter as Mei-lin came alongside the stunned Pikachu.

"Well! Let's give a big hand to the happy couple!" laughed Glacian. Mei-lin grinned as she wrapped her arms around the fluffy Pikachu, kissing him right on his lips.

"Don't worry, William," said Mei-lin with sinister giggling, "It would never have worked out between us." If William did not have fur, his face would have been beet red as he walked back to his seat, wishing he could disappear without a trace. Anna was enjoying every moment of the proceedings.

"Thank you for making my wedding so memorable, William," said Anna sweetly, smiling at the embarrassed Pikachu. William snarled and stuck his tongue out at the smug, young bride. Enrique led Anna out into the large, cleared area of the floor. Mack, Aura, Fredrick, Sakura, Glacian, Gloria, Alexander, Aurora, Andrew, Karen, Carl, Samantha, Wallace and Jean all followed suit and as the Gardevoir musicians played a slow waltz. The Gardevoir couples in their glamorous dresses and jewelry joined Enrique and Anna in their first dance. This time, Simon had wised up and stayed out of sight in the kitchen, praying he would not be found by any of the young, female Gardevoirs who seemed to be patrolling the entire church in search of the ancient Kabutops. Nonetheless, Simon would peek out around the corner of the doorway to watch the seven Gardevoir couples as they danced in their sparkling and shimmering wedding attire. Despite the wonderful atmosphere and delightful music, Mack's attention was divided. He would glance over his shoulder now and then to find the same Ralts with the black bow and ribbon, sitting at a nearby table, closely watching him and the other dancing Gardevoirs. Mack looked away and concentrated, hoping he could read the Ralts's mind.

"That's strange…" thought Mack, returning his gaze to Aura's blushing face, "…I can't read her mind at all. She's more powerful than she looks." He looked over his shoulder again: the Ralts was grinning at him.

"Nice try, Guardian," whispered the Ralts, "I mean no harm. I'm just studying you. After all, Glacian has something special planned for you."

"Who are you?" asked Mack softly.

"If you please, Guardian, I will tell you after the celebration," said the Ralts with a polite bow.

"Okay, then," said Mack with a friendly smile. The Ralts kept her eyes glued to Mack and Aura as they danced.

"These winged Gardevoirs are surely the most beautiful creatures I've ever seen," thought the delighted Ralts. The music and dancing continued throughout the day and well into the evening. Sure enough, the Ralts with her black bow and ribbon continued to observe the Guardians as well as the rest of the royal family while they danced together. Hours had passed and the sun was starting to set behind the craggy, snow-capped peaks of the Gardev Mountains. The time was now 7:58 in the evening and Enrique and Anna had bid good evening to the last of their well-wishers. Simon and Agatha sealed the doors to the cafeteria as the royal family, Angel and her parents gathered around Glacian. The mysterious Ralts had stayed behind and was now standing on Glacian's right. The Gardevoir king smiled.

"Now that all our guests have gone home, I have a little surprise for all of you," said Glacian cheerfully.

"Is that supposed to be some kind of joke, your highness?" asked the Ralts, looking up at Glacian with a grin on her face.

"Certainly not," said Glacian happily as he faced his family, "Now, I'm delighted to introduce to you all, Lucca, the finest painter in all of Olympus."

"A pleasure to meet all of you," said Lucca with a polite bow towards her hosts, "At Glacian's insistence, I have come here to make wedding portraits for each of you."

"Lucca is it?" asked Alexander with a friendly tone of voice, "A pleasure to meet you, Lucca, though I can't say I've ever heard of your work."

"What can I say?" said Lucca with little emotion in her voice, "I've always been a loner and I prefer to stay unnoticed. Still, I would never turn down a request from the king and queen."

"You could say I found out about Lucca's talent completely by accident," said Glacian with a smile, "You see, Arthur is one of the Elite Guards, but even now, he still tends to lose his way when going about Olympus. After all, Olympus is a very large city. Anyway, three days ago…"

"…Arthur stumbled into my studio," interrupted a giggling Lucca, "You should have seen the look on that Gallade's face when he realized he had taken a wrong turn and had mistaken my home for a photographer's shop. He took one look at the paintings lining my walls and begged me to do a commission for him. In this case, he wanted 12x10 foot portrait of him and his wife, Jasmine, in their wedding attire holding their adorable little Ralts twins. I finally gave in after over half an hour of the young Gallade begging me on his knees."

"That about sums things up," said Glacian. The other Gardevoirs were still skeptical of Lucca's talents. Lucca grinned, feeling the uncertainty in the Gardevoirs' minds.

"So, you all doubt me, eh? You think this is joke, don't you?" asked Lucca sternly.

"Perhaps, you have an example to show us?" asked Mack gently. Lucca smiled at the Guardian.

"I'm glad you asked," said Lucca as her eyes started to glow with a soft, blue light. Suddenly, one of the back doors to the large cafeteria was thrown open by an unseen force. Moments later, a large painting with a wooden back and an ornate gold frame, flew into the room, stopping right in view of the group of surprised Gardevoirs. Mack whistled with amazement.

"It's not quite finished, but I think you'll agree this is some fine work. That's what his and her highness keep saying anyway," explained Lucca sharply.

"I have to agree with them," said Mack, very impressed by the soft, beautiful coloring and immense level of detail, "Even the best photographs in the world have nothing on this." As it was, the portrait was a beautiful picture of the loving Gallade, his Gardevoir wife and their twin Ralts.

"What did you say this painting needed again?" asked Aura.

"You see the fine embroidery on Arthur and Jasmine's wedding dresses?" asked Lucca, "I need to accent the designs with some more white and various light grays. As you can see, the whole painting needs some fine touches here and there."

"Looks like it'll take you a few weeks to get everything finished on this painting," remarked Glacian.

"Ha!" said Lucca smugly, "I can have this done by tomorrow afternoon at the latest." The Gardevoirs were all silent.

"So I see," said Glacian, "So, Lucca, how long do you think it will take you to make a splendid wedding portrait for each of my married descendants?"

"Well…" said Lucca, deep in thought, "I can have them all done within a week."

"Should we come by your studio, one couple per day so you can paint us?" asked an excited Anna.

"Please…" said Lucca with a big grin on her face, "I just need each of you to get into a decent pose. I'll study each of you for a minute or two. Then, I'll be on my way back to my studio to sketch and paint you, plus I'll throw in a nice background."

"Now, I want each of you to get into a nice pose for Lucca," said Glacian. The married Gardevoirs faced their mates and were soon holding hands and smiling.

"How is she going to be able to make such great paintings of us without hours of study?" asked Fredrick to Sakura.

"Because I have a photographic memory," said Lucca matter-of-factly as she took a look at each married Gardevoir couple, each for just a minute. Lucca nodded her head.

"Alright, you may all go now. I'm going back to my studio to get to work at once," said Lucca with a smile as she started to leave the room, glancing at Enrique and Anna as she left, "Congratulations, Prince Enrique and best wishes to you, Princess Anna." Lucca left the room with Arthur's portrait floating close behind her. The double-doors of the cafeteria, leading to the long hallway, closed right behind Lucca as she left the spacious and now quiet room.

"Well!" said Glacian, clapping his hands together once, "I think we've had enough excitement and surprises for one day, eh?"

"No kidding…" grumbled William.

"Oh! I almost forgot!" said Anna as she walked behind the frustrated Pikachu, and bent over behind his back, "There!" William's ears perked up when he heard the soft "Click!" of the small, metal padlock disengaging. The small lock dropped onto the floor and William leapt for joy.

"I'm free!! I'm free!!" shouted an elated William. He ran out of the room, taking off like a shot, flying through the double-hinged doors of the cafeteria with incredible speed. Anna smiled and erupted with laughter: William had left the dress, slippers and bow behind in his wake within his first seconds of freedom.

"He was such a cute, little Pikachu today, wasn't he, my love?" asked Anna as she wrapped her arms around Enrique.

"I'm sure he'll remember this day, just like you will," said Enrique tenderly as he kissed Anna.

"Do you two wish to depart to your honeymoon suite?" asked a happy Glacian. The newlyweds smiled and nodded their heads.

"Oh!" said Anna as her eyes opened wide, "Enrique, how are we going to get back to Olympus for our honeymoon?"

"I guess you can't carry me and fly us both to Olympus, huh?" said Enrique, chuckling warmly, "It's against tradition."

"That it is," said Glacian, "The groom is supposed to carry the bride over the threshold, not the other way around."

"Hey!" shouted Xavier as he poked his head through a pair of closed windows, shattering the clear glass and splintering the wooden window frame, "I could… carry… you…" Xavier glanced nervously at the Gardevoirs, realizing he had just destroyed one of the large windows of the cafeteria.

"Whoops…" said Xavier sheepishly.

"Now what was your bright idea, Xavier, before you rammed your head through that very expensive window?" asked Aura with a grin. Xavier laughed nervously.

"Well, I was going to ask if Enrique and Anna would like it if I would fly them to Olympus of their honeymoon?" asked Xavier, "I know how to get there and exactly where the palace is."

"That is a splendid idea, Xavier," said Glacian.

"Ah, a nice romantic flight in the moonlight for the young bride and groom before their wedding night," giggled Gloria. Enrique and Anna smiled, blushing at each other.

"Well, are you coming or not? I haven't got all night!" laughed Xavier. The Gardevoir bride and groom said their goodbyes and before the clock struck 9:00, they had climbed onto Xavier's back and were well on their way into the night sky and towards the wonderful, marble palace of Olympus. The other married couples, Angel and Ramirez watched as Enrique and Anna disappeared over the mountainous horizon on the back of a majestic and powerful Lugia.

"There goes our son…" said Samantha softly as Carl embraced her.

"He's going to be very happy with Anna," said Carl sweetly to his beloved wife, "Just like you and I."

"It's our turn next year," said Ramirez with delight as he held hands with Angel, "Then you, my lovely angel, will finally have your own beautiful and majestic wings." Angel smiled at Ramirez. Mack chuckled as he took Aura up in his arms and started to carry her to Warren's mansion. Mack looked over his shoulder to see Glacian, Alexander, Fredrick, Carl and Andrew follow suit, taking their mates up in their arms and carrying them away for the night. Mack returned his gaze to Aura. She was smiling and blushing deeply.

"Happy 2nd Anniversary, my princess," said Mack sweetly.

"Thank you, my prince," giggled Aura, "So, are we going straight to bed now, honey?" Mack happily nodded his head.

"Wonderful…" said Aura with a blissful sigh, "And just think, Mack: only 8 more years until we'll start having a family." Mack leaned over and kissed Aura long and passionately. The bright light from the glowing pendants lit up the street as the continued the slow walk to the mansion. The streets of Gardev were dark and quiet, but the Guardians were far from being alone. Hiding in a thick shrub, someone was watching Mack and Aura and staying out of sight as they passed by and walked up the stairs to the front door of their home.

"The Guardians are so beautiful and I love their wings so much!" thought Lucca, "I have to see more of them! As long as I stay hidden, I should be able to observe them for days!"

"Excuse me," said a gruff, yet feminine voice, "Just what are you doing in Warren's shrubs? You should come inside or you'll surely catch a cold." Lucca looked up to see Agatha with her arms crossed, looming over the green shrub.

"Oh… Okay…" said Lucca as she crawled out from under the thick green leaves with sticks clinging to her soft gown.

"That's better," said Agatha as she led Lucca inside, "There are plenty of empty guest rooms where you can stay."

"Thank you," said Lucca nervously, "You won't tell the Guardians or anyone else about me, will you?" Agatha just smiled and winked at the little Ralts wearing the black bow and black ribbon around her neck.


	21. Section 21

The Village Guardians

**-70-**

Anna awoke the next morning as sunlight streamed through the windows of the room. She felt Enrique's arms wrapped around her torso in a tight embrace. She reached up with her hands and rubbed her eyes a few times, making sure she wasn't still asleep and in the middle of a wonderful dream. Anna opened her eyes and looked down: she was still in her beautiful wedding dress and jewelry, adorned with diamonds and pink tourmaline. Anna blushed deeply and giggled to herself.

"So, last night wasn't a dream after all," thought Anna with great delight. Though the drapes were closed tight, the bright sunlight was still lighting up the room from outside. All was quiet in the honeymoon suite, except for Enrique's soft breathing. Anna carefully turned onto her back and then onto her other side, coming face to face with her mate. Anna smiled as she reached out with her right hand and then tenderly stroked Enrique's face. He slowly opened his eyes, gently awakened from Anna's soft, warm touch. He smiled at his beautiful wife.

"Good morning, my love," said Enrique softly.

"Good morning to you too, handsome," whispered Anna. She moved her hand from Enrique's face to his left side, gently stroking and feeling the soft fabric and embroidery of her mate's sparkling wedding dress. Enrique chuckled and moved towards Anna, wrapping his arms around her in a tight embrace. Anna giggled happily and lovingly embraced her husband. Enrique was overjoyed, but Anna was a bit worried. She tenderly stroked Enrique's back, hoping to find a pair of soft wings, covered with beautiful white feathers; however, somehow, Enrique had not grown wings during the night.

"Is something wrong, Anna?" asked Enrique sweetly. He could not figure out why Anna's happy and delighted smile had quickly turned into a concerned frown.

"Enrique you… you don't have wings," said Anna with shock. Enrique sat up in bed and glanced at a nearby mirror. He put his back towards the mirror and looked over his shoulder. Sure enough, he did not have wings.

"Well, we may as well get up for now," said Enrique, smiling at Anna, "It's okay, Anna. I'm content to not have wings."

"Are you sure, Enrique?" asked Anna as she climbed out of bed, "Now we can't take that morning flight that we wanted." Anna shivered a little bit as her feet touched the smooth, cold white marble floor. She stood up and quickly slid her feet into her soft and much warmer white satin slippers. Enrique did the same, shortly before he ran up to Anna and embraced her once again. Anna laughed with great joy as she wrapped her arms around Enrique once again. She grinned at Enrique and reached her hands into the pair of slits in the back of her mate's dress. She smiled seductively and giggled as she ran her fingers against the soft skin of Enrique's back. Enrique sighed blissfully as he leaned forward and kissed Anna with great passion. Anna closed her eyes and blushed as she and Enrique kissed. She kept stroking his back tenderly, until she felt something strange. The left and right sides of her mate's upper back were starting to feel… fuzzy. Anna opened her eyes with amazement and looked at Enrique's face. He was blushing deeply and smiling as his and Anna's long kiss continued. He finally broke the kiss and met Anna's wide eyes.

"Now what's wrong?" asked a bewildered Enrique, "And why is my back itching so much? Anna, would you please scratch my back for me? This itching is getting very uncomfortable." Anna grinned as she pulled her hands out of the slits in her mate's dress, releasing him from her embrace and took a few steps away from the worried, young prince.

"Brace yourself, my prince," said Anna softly and calmly with a bright smile on her face, "Your wings are about to be born." At that very moment, Enrique shouted out and wrapped his arms around his upper torso as the itching was quickly replaced by strange, strong sensations on his upper back. Anna helped Enrique onto the floor as he writhed uncontrollably. Anna took a quick look at the twin slits on the back of her husbands sparkling wedding dress: small white feathers were sprouting from Enrique's back and were growing very quickly. She dropped to her knees and softly placed her right hand on the back of Enrique's head, trying to comfort him.

"How long does this last?!" screamed Enrique with great fear.

"Just be patient and don't worry, my love," said Anna sweetly, "I think in a few moments, we're going to take that first flight together after all." Enrique shouted one last time when suddenly, the young prince's feathery wings finally burst forth from the slits in his dress. Enrique huffed and puffed loudly, trying to catch his breath as his strength returned.

"Are you okay?" asked Anna with concern. Enrique got on his knees then looked over each of his shoulders, one at a time: he returned his gaze and Anna and smiled at her.

"You want to fly together after breakfast?" asked Enrique as he slowly moved his wings, testing the new muscles in his back.

"I would love to!" exclaimed Anna with elation, "Wait until Glacian sees this!"

"Wait!" said a smiling Enrique, "Are you thinking what I'm thinking, Anna?" Anna grinned at her mate as she walked behind him and draped and secured the decorative, white cape over Enrique's back, covering up his new wings.

"Now then…" said Anna with a grin, "To the dining room?"

"To the dining room," replied Enrique with a chuckle as he held Anna's left hand in his right hand and started to lead her out of the bedroom.

"This is going to be a long day," said Anna with a blissful sigh as she and Enrique started down the long, marble hallway.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," said Enrique with a cheerful voice. Meanwhile, Glacian and Gloria had gotten up early and were already in the throne room, in their wedding splendor. Normally, they would have been enjoying a quiet breakfast together at this early hour, but Alvin was frantic and had been begging Wallace to let him see the king and queen as soon as possible this morning.

"Alvin, you may come forward," said Glacian. With that, Alvin walked from the main entrance of the massive throne room all the way up to Glacian and Gloria as they sat on their golden thrones. A few minutes passed before Alvin bowed politely and then made the final, short approach to the Gardevoir monarchs. Alvin had a look of fear on his face.

"Dr. Alvin Newman, what troubles you, my friend?" asked Glacian with his deep, yet gentle voice.

"I want to ask you a question first," said Alvin nervously.

"Go ahead, Alvin," said Gloria with a friendly smile, "What do you want to ask of us?" Alvin cleared his throat with a few dry and loud coughs.

"Your highness, do all Gardevoirs possess the power of foresight?" asked Alvin, still fearful.

"Yes, my friend," answered Glacian, "All Gardevoirs have the power to see into the future, but very few can control it and be able to focus to a specific time and place in the future. Most of the time, all Gardevoirs and Kirlias see are random visions that can be from any place on earth or at any time from the next moment to the very distant future unless they receive extensive training. So Alvin, what is making you so afraid?"

"I… I can't say it…" said a terribly frightened Alvin, "It may have just been a horrible nightmare…"

"May Gloria and I peer into your mind to see what you saw while you slept?" asked Glacian.

"I beg of you not to," replied Alvin, "But maybe you can help put my fears to rest."

"What do you need?" asked Glacian, "Whatever it is I can grant it to you at once, my friend."

"What I desire is this:" answered Alvin with renewed courage, "I want the Guardians of Gardev and any others who will willingly come to journey with me to my former Cipher facility on the southern edge of the Gardev Region. I must make sure that the remains of my facility have remained undisturbed." Glacian and Gloria glanced at each other with looks of fear on their faces.

"Why do you need to go there?" asked Glacian.

"My nightmare is linked to that place. If nothing has been tampered with, then what I saw was indeed just a dream and a very foul one at that," replied Alvin.

"Now I want to ask you something, my friend," said Glacian as he stood up from his throne and approached the Gardevoir scientist, "What kind of dark secrets do you still carry both in your mind and at your old laboratory? Is there anything else we should be worried about besides your old research?"

"Well, I would keep an eye out for the only two XD series Pokémon who have not been accounted for," answered Alvin, "There was a Gyarados named Leviathan and a Steelix named Titan, which was once Cecil's Onix. No one knows where they went after they escaped. Other than that, I don't know of any of my research or inventions that were not destroyed from the auto-destruct explosives of my facility or that were taken into protective custody of Mack, Aura, K-1 and myself."

"I see," said Glacian as he sat back down on his shining throne, "I think you have a great idea. I also would like to know what has become of the remains of your facility."

"You and me both," said Alvin with mounting fear, "After all, there is still a chance that someone could recover information from any computers that were not too badly damaged from the destruction of the building."

"Project Omega, Epsilon and Alpha to name a few," said Glacian grimly, "I remember them all."

"That's just the tip of the iceberg," warned Alvin, "At the very least, it would not surprise me if lots of weapons and other equipment that was left behind could still be used."

"I understand your concerns," said Glacian, "Very well, Alvin. You, Gloria and I shall fly down to Gardev at once and meet the Guardians. I'm certain they would not turn down your need for help in this matter."

"Should I carry Alvin, or should you dear?" asked Gloria.

"We'll just teleport to Gardev this time," replied Glacian just as Enrique and Anna walked into the large throne room.

"Look, dear!" said Gloria with delight, "Here come the newlyweds!" Enrique and Anna smiled as they approached the thrones of their great-great grandparents.

"Good morning, Glacian," said Anna happily.

"Ah, yes. Good morning, Anna," said Glacian, "I trust you and Enrique are enjoying each other's company at the very least?"

"Most certainly," said Enrique, "By the way, I have a little surprise for you." Glacian was about to ask what it was when Enrique unfurled his wings from behind his cape with a loud "Whoosh!" Glacian and Gloria were overjoyed.

"Well! That's wonderful!" said a delighted Gloria, "Are you two going to take your first flight together today?"

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," said Enrique as he wrapped his left arm around Anna, holding her close.

"Well, let us hope this is not the only good news of the day," said Glacian as he faced the advisors, "Advisors, you will mind the city while Gloria and I are gone. We shall return shortly." The six Gardevoirs nodded their heads in reply.

"Let's get going then," said Alvin, "The sooner, the better." With that, the king and queen of Olympus left the throne room with Alvin right behind them.

"What did Glacian mean when he said he hoped your wings weren't the only good news of the day?" asked a thoroughly bewildered Anna. Enrique just shrugged his shoulders and kissed Anna again, not sure how to answer his wife's question.

**-71-**

Mack and Aura had already gotten out of bed when Glacian started knocking on their door.

"Guardians?" called Glacian through the door, "Is it alright if we enter?"

"Go ahead," said Mack with a loud yawn. With that, Glacian opened the door and walked into the bedroom with Gloria at his side. Alvin was following right behind the king and queen. Mack and Aura had barely gotten changed and were still in their wedding dresses. Aura smiled as she put her earrings into a drawer on her vanity, closed the drawer and then turned around to face her great-great grandparents. Mack spread his wings out in a stretch and yawned once again.

"I hope we aren't intruding…" said Glacian hesitantly.

"You're just fine," said Mack as he folded his wings up behind his back, "So, what brings you here this morning?"

"Ah. I do believe Alvin here will be able to answer your question," said Glacian while Alvin walked in front of him.

"Guardians of Gardev…" started Alvin.

"Hold on!" laughed Mack, "Alvin, we're old friends, remember? You don't have to be so formal with Aura and I."

"I suppose you're right," said Alvin with a friendly smile, "Anyway, I've come here this morning because I need to ask a favor of you and Aura."

"Is that so?" asked Aura cheerfully, "What do you need our help with?" Alvin cleared his throat with a loud cough.

"Mack, Aura: I need you two to take me back to the ruins of my old Cipher facility," replied Alvin. Mack and Aura glanced at each other.

"I'm just curious, but why do you need to go back there?" asked Mack with suspicion.

"To be honest, I had a particularly nasty nightmare last night and I want to survey the ruins," answered Alvin, "I want to make sure that what remains of that old building has remained untouched. There were quite a few things that were left behind by Cipher: weapons, food and plenty of high-tech equipment."

"Maybe we ought to make a salvage operation of this as well," suggested Mack, "I'd feel better if we just clean the place out so none of that junk can be taken by criminals and the like."

"So, you'll help me?" asked Alvin with hope.

"I would be glad to help you check out that old facility," said Mack with a smile, "Besides, whatever we bring back might be useful in my experiments and inventions."

"Splendid!" exclaimed Alvin, "Thank you so much, Mack and Aura!"

"Always glad to help," said Aura, "Now, how about you all leave for now so Mack and I can get out of our wedding attire?"

"Most certainly," said Alvin, "Thank you." With that, Glacian, Gloria and Alvin left the room. From what Aura could gather, Mack was very eager to get going, but also somewhat worried.

"Is something on your mind, honey?" asked Aura sweetly.

"I just wonder what will await us once we get to that place," said Mack, "I certainly hope whatever's there has been left alone." Aura smiled as she walked up to her mate.

"We can always have Central, Xavier and K-1 come with us. I bet they would love to get out of the lab for a while," said Aura happily as she offered the back of her dress to Mack, "Now, would my prince please help his princess with her dress?"

"But of course, my princess," replied Mack softly as he reached out with his hands, unfastened the twin ruby collar buttons and tenderly unlaced Aura's wedding dress.

"Thank you, my love," giggled Aura with delight. Mack slowly pulled the laces out of their golden loops. Before long, Aura's dress was unlaced.

"God, I love being married…" said Mack, blushing as he gently pulled the sides of the dress bodice open and ever so carefully helped Aura pull her wings out of the wing slits on her dress.

"You and me both, handsome," said Aura with great delight. As Mack and Aura helped each other out of their wedding attire and quickly got dressed, K-1 was running diagnostics on the S-5 Heavy Cargo Carrier. The large vehicle had not been used in a long time and K-1 wanted to make sure the giant, flying transport did not need anything more than routine maintenance.

"The ship's computer is not reporting any faults," reported Central, "Looks like all that needs to be done is to clean the engines and repulsors."

"Sounds logical to me," said K-1, "There's no telling how much dust has collected in there over the last few years."

"That reminds me," said Central, "I just got the diagnostics back for the _Firefox_. It would appear that the S-4 is now flight-ready, plus most systems are operational again."

"That's great news!" said K-1 with glee, "Mack and I have only been trying to get the _Firefox_ flight-worthy for the last twenty years! He'll be glad to hear that!"

"There is a 99.99999 chance if that being correct," said Central matter-of-factly.

"How can you say there is a chance that Mack won't be glad to hear the news?" demanded K-1.

"My calculation covers just today and I still estimate the almost unlikely scenario that Mack and Aura won't even come down here today," explained Central.

"Fat chance of that," laughed K-1. While Central and K-1 continued their work, Mack and Aura were enjoying a simple breakfast of fruit and cereal. Oddly enough, Simon had decided to join them this morning. What was even stranger was that William was still sound asleep in Warren's room and had not come down for breakfast. To top things off, the simple breakfast was because Agatha had taken the day off to relax and rest.

"I guess our little friend is exhausted after the wedding yesterday," said a cheerful Aura.

"I think I'd be worn out too if I had to spend yesterday in his shoes," chuckled Mack. Simon said nothing, vividly remembering the day Anna had forced him to dress up as a Gardevoir bride because he had lost a bet with her.

"He should have known better than to have trusted his fate to Anna," said Simon bluntly.

"I almost feel guilty for not warning him," said Aura as a grin spread across her face, "Almost."

"Now then," said Simon, "About your upcoming trek to Alvin's old Cipher facility. May I have the pleasure of joining you on this little excursion?"

"The more, the better I suppose," said Mack as he took a sip from his steaming coffee mug, "Xavier, K-1 and Central will be accompanying us. Eric, Andre, Alvin, Cecil and even David will be joining us, too. They said their knowledge of Cipher's inner workings should be useful in exploring the ruins."

"Sounds like a good choice," remarked Simon, "My only other question is when we will be leaving."

"After breakfast and after I issue out some weapons and equipment," replied Mack, "Alvin insists that we come thoroughly prepared, though he won't say why."

"Glacian mentioned something to me about Alvin having a nightmare last night," said Simon, "A Gardevoir's powers of foresight are quite chaotic without rigorous training. I, for one, think we will go to the ruins and find nothing."

"Either that, or whatever Alvin saw has already happened or will not happen for days, weeks, maybe even several years," said Aura. Mack sat back in his chair and crossed his arms.

"Considering that we're going into a Cipher facility, we may as well be cautious," warned Mack, "You may remember how most of the members of that criminal organization were never found. Either way, let's get ready to go and be on our toes." Half an hour passed before Mack, Aura and the others descended into the underground laboratory. K-1 had only just finished cleaning the engines on the massive S-5 and put the armored covers back in place when Mack and company arrived in the main control room.

"Welcome back, Dr. Foxx," said Central warmly, "It has been a few weeks since you were last here. I suspect that you and mistress Aura have something very important to attend to."

"That we do, Central," said Mack as he stepped aside, "And we have a few guests who will be traveling with us as well."

"Is Xavier sleeping in the aircraft bay?" asked Aura with a soft, cheerful tone of voice.

"Most certainly," replied Central.

"Thank you," said Aura happily, "Then the launch bay will be our first stop." Mack nodded his head.

"Central, please keep an eye out for our guests. You'll recognize them instantly," said Mack.

"Affirmative, sir," was Central's reply as Mack and Aura left the main control room and leisurely walked down the long, well-lit metallic hallway. Little time had passed when they arrived at the proper doors. Mack quickly entered an access code on a small console. Immediately, the large, twin doors let out a loud "Hiss!" as they slid open, revealing the huge aircraft bay. Mack and Aura chuckled warmly: Xavier was indeed sleeping in the launch bay, snoring loudly with his head buried under his massive wings. As the Guardians quietly approached the sleeping Lugia, he stirred in his sleep. He pulled his head out from under his wings and letting out a loud yawn, he greeted Mack and Aura with a smile on his face.

"Good morning," said Xavier happily, yet with tiredness in his voice, "Trying to sneak up on me again?"

"We've all but given up on that," said Mack with a friendly smile. Xavier laughed to himself as he stood up.

"So, what brings you here?" asked Xavier.

"We wanted to ask if you wanted to join me, Mack, Central, K-1 and some guests on a little field trip," answered Aura.

"Does this 'Fieldtrip' involve blowing things up or aerial observation?" asked Xavier jokingly.

"I do believe he already had our plan in mind," giggled Aura.

"You're not kidding, are you?" asked Xavier.

"Certainly not," said Mack, "Are you still eager to get out of the lab for the day?"

"I can be ready in ten minutes," said Xavier matter-of-factly.

"Great!" said Mack, "Though, you will have to ride in the S-5's cargo bay for the trip down, alright?"

"Not a problem," said Xavier, "I'll be all set to go after I've had some breakfast."

"Okay," said Aura with a cheerful voice, "We'll see you at the surface in a little while." With that, Mack and Aura walked out of the hanger, hand-in-hand. They arrived back at the control room to find their guests had just arrived.

"Well," said Central happily as one of her cameras gazed at the four Gardevoirs and one Mewtwo, "Eric, Alvin, Cecil, Andre and David. I haven't seen any of you for years. I trust you are all doing very well and in good health?"

"Quite so," replied Cecil, "It will be nice to get away from Olympus for the day."

"That's surprising," remarked Andre, "What's the matter, Cecil? Is your new job as a jeweler too boring for you?"

"Heh!" laughed Cecil, "Jewelry was my trade before I joined up with Cipher. I had joined up for fame and fortune and got just that, but make no mistake that I regret joining them. My brother, on the other hand…"

"You have a brother?" asked Mack with shock. Aura was equally surprised at Cecil's remark.

"Yes. His name is Cyan. I can't imagine what's become of him, though," answered Cecil, "The last time I saw him was a few weeks after we joined up with Cipher. Last I heard, he was promoted to admin within a few weeks. He always was a natural leader, but he was also very harsh."

"Kind of like how you were," said Eric.

"Yeah, don't remind me…" grumbled Cecil. Alvin turned his gaze towards Mack and Aura.

"So, are we ready to go?" asked Alvin.

"No. We have much to do, but I think we can be ready to leave within the hour," replied Mack as he face Central's main view screen, "Central?" The computer's gentle voice echoed throughout the large control room.

"What do you need, sir?" asked Central with eagerness.

"I want you and K-1 to be ready to move out in half an hour. I also want the S-5 prepped for launch and at the surface in twenty minutes," commanded Mack, "I'll hand out the weapons and other machinery."

"Command acknowledged," said Central firmly. In the large, underground hanger, the massive S-5 roared to life. Meanwhile, Lucca was hiding in one of the bushes in the backyard of Warren's mansion. The Ralts with the black bow and ribbon was glad that Agatha had not ratted her out and not only let her stay in the mansion for the night, but gave her the best breakfast she'd had in years. Lucca jumped back when the ground suddenly shook. There was a loud "Whirr!" in the air: Lucca looked on with disbelief when two large sections of the backyard, fifty yards away, slowly moved straight up a few feet and then slid sideways in opposite directions. The metallic whine from the S-5's engines and repulsors could be heard throughout Gardev and got progressively louder and louder. Soon, Lucca was staring wide-eyed at the massive S-5 as it slowly lifted out through the open launch bay doors. The giant vehicle then moved to the left, slowly, until it was clear of the hanger doors. The engines quieted down as the vehicle softly touched down on the ground and as the massive hanger doors slid closed and then settled back in place.

"What is that thing?!" thought Lucca with shock, "I've never seen anything like it!" The Ralts artist wasn't sure what to expect next; however, she smiled the moment the back doors of the massive machine opened up, revealing the large cargo bay. Lucca ran across the grassy backyard, hoping no one was watching her as she climbed into the heavy cargo carrier. She was worried: where would she hide now that she was in the cargo bay? Several large, metal crates quickly provided an answer.

"This is going to be easier than I thought," said Lucca to herself as she carefully and quietly climbed into one of the open crates. The container of her choice was filled with Styrofoam peanuts as well as several packages of what appeared to be food, sealed in plastic bags with cardboard backings.

"At least I won't be hungry," thought Lucca as her eyes started to glow with a faint blue light. Just outside the metal crate, the accompanying lid floated into the air and then slowly floated down onto Lucca's hiding place, latching itself shut. Lucca reached into a blue satchel that she was wearing on her left shoulder. She pulled out a small flashlight and switched it on. All was quiet in the crate and she hoped no one would find her. She turned off the flashlight and sat quietly.

"Come heck or high water, I have got to see the Guardians of Gardev in action!" thought Lucca with great excitement. The artistic possibilities were endless and Lucca was hoping she would get to see Mack and Aura either in flight or in combat.

"Here goes," thought an enthusiastic Lucca, "I'm going to get some of the best sketches I've ever made today." Lucca froze when she heard several, heavy footsteps from outside. They got louder and louder: something very large and heavy was approaching the crate. The footsteps came to an abrupt stop seemingly just yards from the crate.

"I wonder what that was?" thought Lucca with concern. She shrugged her shoulders and waited patiently in the metal crate while Mack was passing out munitions and other various gadgets down below in the lab. He reached out and entered a long, secret code on a number pad on the wall. The control pad was next to a large door, seemingly made out of glass. Behind the glass wall were dozens of futuristic guns, rifles and other weapons.

"Mack, if you don't mind me asking, how is a glass wall going to keep thieves out of your weapons should someone actually manage to break into the lab? It has been done before," cautioned Alvin. Mack said nothing as he pulled his trusty FIW-59A Elemental Pistol of its hanger. He turned off the safety, pointed the weapon at the clear wall and fired several shots into the glass. The loud bangs echoed in the lab and the bright flashes from each shot lit up the surrounding area. Besides some smoke, nothing had happened to the glass, not even a scratch.

"How did you do that…?" asked a bewildered Eric.

"Simple," replied Mack as he set the pistol on a nearby table and started removing other weapons from their shelves and hooks, "This glass is actually compressed diamond. I simply run some of my synthetic, flawless diamond through one of my inventions, called an atom press. It simply smashes atoms as close together as possible, reducing the size of the inserted object, but the object remains just as heavy and in many cases, stronger."

"But the atom press only works on certain materials, such as flawless crystals and metal," remarked K-1.

"That's true," said Mack as he handed Eric, Alvin, Cecil, Andre and David each a pistol and a rifle, "You each get an FIW-36 Combo Rifle and an FIW-12 auto pistol. You think you can handle these weapons, or do any of you want to squeeze off a few rounds in the shooting range?"

"I'm good. I've used weapons like this before," replied David.

"I'm set, too," said Andre confidently.

"Ditto," said Cecil. No one else said a word, so Mack handed everyone extra power cells, belts and holsters for the pistols and power cells and straps for the rifles. In a matter of minutes, Mack, Aura and company were loaded and ready to go.

"Would someone please remind me why we're taking all this hardware with us?" asked Eric with uneasiness in his voice.

"We can't take any chances," answered Alvin with determination, "If we actually find anyone at the ruins and we have to fight, at least we're all properly prepared."

"Not quite," said Mack as he handed each Gardevoir and the Mewtwo a small back box, about the size of a deck of cards and with a metal clip on the back of each device, "Clip these on your belts as well. Those are personal shield generators. They should provide complete protection from explosions, bullets and our own weapons. The last thing I want is for anyone to get hurt or killed by enemies or friendly fire." The psychic Pokémon obediently did as Mack asked.

"Are we ready to go now, honey?" asked Aura with a smile.

"Not quite," said Mack as he grabbed another object off the top shelf of the weapons case. It looked like a decorated, shiny and silver flashlight. Mack clipped the strange weapon onto his own belt and slid the elemental pistol into a thigh-grip holster on his right.

"Will you be needing any other equipment, sir?" asked Central as she walked up behind the small army in her S-100F armor.

"No," replied Mack, "Make sure you strap on your shoulder-mounted weapons and make sure K-1 is properly armed as well."

"As you wish, sir," said Central as she walked away. Lastly, Mack gave everyone in the group a black visor. There was a gray button on each side of the visors.

"Now these will provide us with night vision as well as infrared scanners," said Mack, "The button on your left will turn on the night vision function as well as turn it off. The button on the right does the same for the infrared scanner. Got it?" The Gardevoirs and Mewtwo nodded their heads with understanding.

"Good. Let's get to the surface and get going. Xavier's waiting for us," said Mack sternly. With that, the small army marched down the laboratory corridors with K-1 and Central following close behind. Meanwhile, Lucca was sitting quietly and was calmly relaxing in her hiding place. A few minutes passed slowly and then she heard the whine of the powerful engines getting progressively louder as the massive cargo bay doors creaked shut. She leaned back against one side of the crate, just as the entire vehicle suddenly lurched to one side. Now, she could feel herself moving up higher and higher. Only a few moments passed when she felt the large vehicle move forward and with surprising speed. Still, the takeoff had been very comfortable and the sudden movements, overall, had been gentle. She smiled in the darkness, reclining in the crate, figuring she would easily be able to get some great sketches of the Guardians of Gardev. Lucca's smile was soon replaced with a frown when she felt her hair standing on end from an unwelcome presence: she wasn't alone in the crate after all. Evil, maniacal laughter filled the darkness and seemed to come from every direction at once. Despite the unnerving sounds, Lucca was not at all fazed. She let out a sigh of disappointment, clenched her right hand into a fist and pulled back her arm. The laughter got louder and louder, but Lucca stood firm: she let her fist fly forward. The loud "Ouch!!" Lucca heard was the sweetest sound she had heard all morning as her fist collided with an unseen object with a powerful punch. There was a loud "Clang!" as whoever or whatever it was hit the opposite side of the crate. Lucca reached into her satchel for the flashlight and quickly turned it on.

"How come every time I tangle with a female Pokémon I always get hurt?" muttered Gremlin to himself as he sifted through the packets and small packages on the floor.

"Maybe it's because you're a blithering idiot," said Lucca coldly, "Now what are you doing here?" She grinned at Gremlin, realizing she had managed knock one of the Sableye's eyes clean out of its dark purple socket with a single blow.

"Need I answer?" grumbled Gremlin, "Now help me find my eye!" Lucca said nothing as Gremlin feverishly dug through the plastic packets, trying to find the gemstone eye that Lucca had knocked loose. Lucca shook her head back and forth and again she grinned. She reached down into the plastic packets on her right: sure enough, she found Gremlin's missing eye.

"Looking for this?" asked Lucca with a devious smile on her face as she held out the cracked gemstone towards Gremlin. The Sableye turned around fast and gazed at his eye, now in the hands of the grinning Ralts.

"Ah! You found it!" said Gremlin with glee, "Now give it back!" Lucca pulled the gem away from the frustrated Sableye.

"Not until you apologize," said Lucca with a loud yawn, "I can wait all day if I have to." Gremlin snarled as Lucca sat down on the crate floor, leaning against the back wall.

"You're going to have to wait until the end of time for that!" laughed Gremlin, "Ghost-Types never apologize and that goes double for Dark-Types, missy!"

"Is that so?" said Lucca with indifference as her gaze fell on the cracked, large gem, "Well, maybe I could make a pretty necklace with this." Gremlin's empty eye socket twitched.

"Don't even think about it!" said Gremlin, a threatening tone entering his voice.

"Or, maybe I could take it to a gem cutter…" said Lucca sadistically as she tossed the gem into the air and caught it several times right in front of Gremlin's face. Gremlin's eye and empty eye socket opened wide. He dropped to the floor and stared at Lucca with a pleading eye.

"Okay!" whined Gremlin, "I'm sorry!"

"Sorry for what?" asked Lucca, still grinning at Gremlin. The scared Sableye quickly considered his options: he could just admit what he did was wrong or try to snatch back his eye. However, Gremlin was surprised that not only had Lucca found him in complete darkness, but the single punch she landed on him had been surprisingly strong and painful. He gulped loudly: he hated to admit it, but there was a chance he was no match for the sadistic, small Pokémon.

"Okay!" said Gremlin, finally giving up, "I'm sorry for my pathetic attempt at trying to scare you!"

"That's a good boy," said Lucca as she tossed the strange gem back to Gremlin. The Sableye quickly stuffed the gemstone eye back into its socket.

"Gah!" shouted Gremlin as he removed the gem and quickly rearranged it, "I hate it when I put it in upside-down…" Meanwhile, outside the crate, Xavier stirred in his sleep as he overheard the tussle between two small Pokémon in a nearby crate. He shook his head slowly, back and forth, wondering who would be dumb enough to try and stow away on one of Mack's ships. He reached out with his head, latched his large beak onto the sides of the crate's lid and quickly pulled the lid away, exposing the feuding Ralts and Sableye.

"Well, well! What have we here?" asked Xavier with a grin. Lucca and Sableye fell silent and looked up at the huge Lugia as it loomed over them. They were overcome with fear knowing their cover had been blown. Xavier smiled and laughed at the scared, tiny Pokémon.

"Well? Start talking," said Xavier as he sat down on the metallic floor, "What are you two doing here? You'd better answer quickly or I'll get Mack and Aura back here at once." Lucca boldly stood up and looked Xavier right in the eye.

"I'll just be blunt," said Lucca as she crossed her arms, "I want to observe the Guardians of Gardev. Quite frankly, I think they are the most beautiful creatures I've ever seen and I would love to see them in action: be it combat, flight or whatever."

"So, you just want to sketch them, huh?" asked Xavier.

"That's the idea," replied Lucca, "Besides; I can take care of myself." Gremlin knew he needed an excuse and a very good one if he was going to get away with stowing aboard the S-5.

"Plus I can watch over her!" said Gremlin quickly.

"Very well," said Xavier as he reached out with his long neck, grabbed the cover of the metal crate in his mouth and then tenderly placed the lid back in place, covering the two small Pokémon, "Just be careful and I'll let you know when the coast is clear. However, if you get caught, we never spoke, got it?"

"Right," said Lucca quietly.

"Very well," replied Gremlin as he reclined against a side of the crate, "So, Lucca: how did you get so strong, anyway? Very few Pokémon have ever been able to knock my eye loose with a single strike like that."

"Didn't I tell you before?" said Lucca as a grin spread across her face once again; "My father is a member of the Olympus Elite Guards. Let's just say he wanted to make sure his dear only daughter could hold her own in a fight if needed, even if I had to face off against Dark or Ghost Types." Gremlin nodded his head and spoke not another word. The Sableye decided he should do whatever it took to stay off of Lucca's bad side… for now.


	22. Section 22

The Village Guardians

**-72-**

William was absolutely infuriated. He was lying in one of the large, bay windows of the Gardev mansion. The angered Pikachu was sulking with the horrible memories of Enrique and Anna's wedding day still fresh on his mind.

"And Anna promised she would give me some sort of treat for wearing that pink dress and making a complete fool out of myself!" thought William angrily. Warren peaked around the corner, getting a quick look at William.

"How long has William been lying there?" asked Warren to Agatha.

"For at least four hours," said Agatha with a sigh, "He didn't even touch his breakfast or lunch."

"I wonder what's on his mind?" said Warren as he peaked around the corner and addressed the angry Pikachu with a friendly smile and a gentle voice, "What's wrong, little fellow?" The angry, loud squeaks from the mad rodent were all Warren needed to know that he should leave William alone and retreat out of the room.

"What was that all about?" asked Agatha with curiosity.

"Whatever it was he said, I don't think I would want to repeat it," answered Warren. Just then, he heard some soft rustling from behind. He turned around quickly and smiled as soon as he got a look at his guests.

"Oh! Hi there!" said Agatha with delight.

"It's nice to see you, Enrique," said Warren happily, "Especially you, Anna." The young Gardevoir couple were still on their honeymoon, thus, they continued to wear their wedding attire in celebration of their marriage. Warren couldn't help but stare at the lovers' sparkling, white dresses. The pink gemstones on Anna's dress and jewelry sparkled brightly from the mid-day sun.

"Nice to see you as well," said Enrique with a smile as he held Anna's left hand.

"Are you staying long?" asked Agatha, "I could get some coffee or tea for you."

"No thank you," replied Anna, smiling as she held Enrique's hand, "We just stopped by to tend to some… unfinished business."

"Oh?" said Warren, "What did you forget?"

"How about me?" asked William with a grumpy voice as he slowly walked into the nearby living room.

"There you are," said Anna with a bright smile as she looked down at the irritated Pikachu, "I'm sorry, little cutie. I completely forgot about my promise to you."

"Yeah, whatever," replied William with a scowl on his face.

"I want to make it up to you," said Anna, trying to reassure the grumpy rodent, "And I think I have just the thing."

"It's not another dress is it?" asked William with despair. Anna, Enrique, Warren and Agatha couldn't help but laugh.

"Of course not!" said Anna, laughing up a storm.

"Anna and I talked it over for awhile," said Enrique as he soon stopped laughing, "And we figured out the perfect reward for you." William's yellow and black-tipped ears perked up.

"Can I have it now?" asked William eagerly.

"Just hop on my shoulder, then my prince and I will take you to the church. Your little treat is being kept there," said Anna, patting her right shoulder with her left hand. In an instant, William leapt onto the Gardevoir's satin-covered shoulder: the Pikachu could only hope he had not fallen into another trap.

"Alright," said Enrique, "Shall we be off then?"

"Yes, we shall," said Anna, leaning against her husband. With that, Enrique and Anna left the mansion and started on their way to the large, Gardev church. As they walked down the street, they drew the attention of the few dozen people who still called Gardev home. They couldn't help but admire the beautiful Gardevoirs in their dresses and jewelry.

"I was hoping I would get to see one last Gardevoir wedding," said an old man to himself as he walked back into his store. Enrique and Anna didn't have to look far to see that the few residents of the village were all quite old.

"I wonder why no one wants to live here anymore," said Anna.

"I guess these people have been here all their lives and just can't bear to leave," said Enrique, "I can understand that with the dense, green forests, the wonderful mountain views and a very quiet atmosphere." Anna just smiled at her mate as they soon arrived and then stepped into the empty, quiet church. William's eyes opened wide and he chuckled with glee as Anna carried him towards the kitchen. Anna giggled as she gently took William up in her arms and carefully set him on the floor.

"Ready for your surprise?" asked Anna with a grin.

"I'm as ready as I'll ever be," said William with excitement. He licked his lips figuring that surely, his reward was going to be a fine meal at the very least. Nonetheless, nothing could have prepared him for what happened next. Enrique chuckled warmly to himself as he opened a tall refrigerator and carefully pulled out a large, silver platter. William almost fainted when he got a look at what he was about to dine on.

"I think it's a good trade," said Anna as Enrique carefully set what was left of hers and her mate's wedding cake at William's feet, "One day of having to wear a pretty dress and a bow for half a huge wedding cake." William was speechless.

"I… can actually have… all of it?" asked a stunned William.

"Yep!" replied Anna with joy, "It's all yours!"

"Let's get going, my love," said Enrique tenderly as he came alongside his wife and put his left arm around her, "Let's leave William and the cake here alone." Anna grinned at Enrique.

"I say we head back to the mansion, get a bite to eat for lunch and then…" said Anna, wrapping her arms around Enrique, "…Then, after another nice evening together, we can take a nice, long flight over the mountains before bed."

"Sounds like a plan to me," said Enrique happily as he lead Anna out of the kitchen.

"Then we can spend tomorrow in the flower gardens of the palace," said Anna blissfully, "Just you and me." William looked over his shoulder, watching as Enrique and Anna kissed while the kitchen door slowly swung closed. The hungry Pikachu returned his gaze onto the monstrous remains of the wedding cake.

"This will be a day to remember," thought William with sheer delight as an evil smile spread across his face, "Best of all, there's no Mack or Aura here to order me around or get in my way…" As William approached the helpless, baked, half-eaten victim, Enrique and Anna were on their way out of the church when Enrique remembered something important.

"I almost forgot," said Enrique, smiling at his lovely wife, "Didn't Alexander and Aurora ask us to come by Warren's mansion later this evening?"

"Yes, they did," answered Anna happily, glancing at Enrique's face, "That's part of why we came here today. They said they had a little surprise for us after dinner." Anna wondered what her parents were planning.

"You think our wedding portrait is done now?" suggested Anna.

"That would be nice," said Enrique, "It would certainly look great over our fireplace." Anna just smiled and leaned against Enrique as they walked down the main street of Gardev, wondering what would await her and her handsome mate later that day.

**-73-**

Mack could not have been more relieved. The Radar and infrared jammer was working properly plus the unusually cloudy mid-summer day made flying in the Gardev region perfect for someone who did not want to be seen. Now, Mack and Aura were guiding the huge, armored carrier through the skies as Central, K-1, Cecil, Andre, Eric, Alvin, Simon and David sat still, strapped into the large, soft chairs just outside the cockpit. Despite the powerful engines, the S-5 was so quiet that Cecil had fallen asleep over an hour ago. Alvin had wanted to rest too, but the memories of his recent nightmare were still all too fresh on his mind.

"Everything is running properly, Mack," reported Aura from the copilot's chair, "The power levels are holding and the internal engine temperatures are well under the limit." Mack chuckled as he turned his gaze towards his wife.

"You don't miss a thing, do you?" asked Mack with a smile. Aura grinned back at her husband.

"I only have the thousands of years of experience that you have piloting this carrier," said Aura, "You think I could try flying the _Firefox_ one of these days?"

"As soon as K-1 and I run a few more tests, I'll let you be the lead pilot on the first test flight," replied Mack, "It's going to be odd sitting in the copilot's chair."

"What will be stranger is me not being at any of the controls of the _Firefox_ at all," said K-1 from behind the Guardians, "Nevertheless, Aura is more than capable of flying the S-4."

"We should be approaching our destination soon," said Central as she lowered her shoulder-mounted cannons, testing the servos and other systems on her S-100F armor.

"Thank you, Central," said Aura, "Mack, shall we begin our descent?" Mack nodded his head.

"That we will," replied Mack as he turned his head to face the passengers just outside the cockpit, "We're almost there."

"Very good," said Alvin as he unbuckled his seatbelts and carefully walked into the large cockpit. There were two other chairs and control consoles behind Mack and Aura. They appeared to be for the navigator and the communications officer. He sat down behind Mack at the navigator's station and switched on the console as the massive S-5 tilted forward ever so slightly and began to slowly descend out of the thick, white clouds. A topographic map appeared on the screen, displaying the nearby mountains, hills, highways and the city of Alakaz, 40 miles away. A red "X" on the electronic map marked his destination. Alvin remembered arming the self-destruct systems shortly before he and the thousands of Gardevoirs, Kirlias, Ralts and Gallades made their hasty escape back to the hidden city now known as Olympus. He had not even stuck around to watch the large facility get blown to smithereens. Hopefully, all that would greet Alvin and his companions would be a large crater, filled with scrap metal.

"Descending to 1,000 feet," said Mack as the heavy cargo carrier finally broke through the thick clouds. The two Guardians gasped and Alvin sat still with his eyes wide open, stunned, as the twisted, metallic remains of his old, giant building came into view. Against all of Alvin's hopes, the building was very much still intact. He removed his glasses and wiped his large eyes several times, making sure he was not imagining this horrible sight, but alas, the badly damaged building was indeed real.

"Just like in my dream…" thought Alvin with growing fear.

"Alvin, what do you make of this?" asked Mack with shock. Alvin let out a heavy sigh.

"To say the least, it appears the auto-destruct explosives were almost entirely ineffective," answered Alvin grimly.

"Well, now what will we do?" asked a concerned Aura, "Should we proceed anyway, Alvin?" Alvin stood up from his chair and clenched his fists tightly.

"Now we have to explore the ruins!" declared Alvin, trying to sound confident, "As long as the ruins are undisturbed, then all I saw was just a foul dream and not a vision from the future."

"Very well then," said Mack as he faced his mate, "Let's set down in the courtyard. That large, paved area should be able to withstand the weight of the S-5." As the Guardians carefully guided the massive ship to its destination, Xavier was resting with his head under his large wings while Lucca and Gremlin sat quietly and patiently in the metal crate.

"You two better get ready to head out," said Xavier, just loud enough for Lucca and Gremlin to hear him, "I'll cover for you. Just be sure to stay out of trouble."

"Will do," replied Lucca as she put her satchel back on around her left shoulder. She rifled through the small pouch, making sure all her supplies were in order.

"Whatcha got in there?" asked Gremlin with curiosity.

"Pencils, pens, a few sketchpads and a flashlight," replied Lucca with little emotion in her voice, "Just the basics." Suddenly, the S-5 lurched slightly as the huge machine softly touched down on the paved ground.

"We're here," said Xavier while he pulled his head out from under his white wings and stood up, "Get ready to move." Up in the cockpit, Mack and Aura quickly powered down the S-5. Soon, the loud whine from the powerful engines vanished. Back in the cargo bay, Xavier was stretching out his wings and letting out a loud yawn as Mack, Aura, K-1, Central, Simon and their guests walked down into the large, metallic room.

"Okay, now we need to decide who's going down into the ruins with Aura, Alvin and me," said Mack, "And who is going to stay here and guard the S-5."

"Of course, I'm coming along," said K-1.

"You know I couldn't miss even the possibility of a good fight," said Simon, "You can count me in for the exploratory party."

"If you don't mind, I would rather stay here," said Andre.

"Same here," said David.

"Very well," said Mack as he faced the suit of battle armor, "Central, you'd best stay here as you're the only other person who can operate the S-5. Plus, we'll need you to be our spotter. The S-5's scanners should be able to pick up just about anything, even in the deepest areas of the ruins."

"Affirmative, Mack," was Central's cheerful reply. Oddly enough, despite the immensely powerful S-100F battle armor, Central was never eager for combat and always preferred a supporting role whenever there was going to be a battle or an expedition.

"So, that means, K-1, Cecil, Eric, Simon and Alvin will be coming with Aura and I…" said Mack, deep in thought, "Okay. I think we're ready to go now."

"How about I do some aerial surveillance?" suggested Xavier.

"Oh, yeah!" said Mack with some embarrassment, "I almost forgot about you, Xavier. Yes! That would be a great idea." With that, Mack, Aura and the other Gardevoirs grabbed their weapons, utility belts and extra power cells. Central pressed a switch on a nearby console and the massive back doors of the S-5 slowly creaked open, revealing the sand-covered pavement outside. A light wind was blowing: the only sound that could be heard outside was the rustling of the sand as it was blown across the cracked cement. Mack glanced back at Central, Andre and David.

"If the scanners find anything down there report it at once," commanded Mack, "Also, just in case the S-5 should fall under attack, just arm the deflector shields and use the heavy blaster turrets if you have to."

"Hopefully, we will have no need for those destructive weapons," said Central. Mack nodded his head in agreement.

"Alright," said Mack, "Let's move out." Aura, K-1 and the other accompanying Gardevoirs cautiously left the confines of the S-5 and set foot on the degraded cement courtyard outside. The quiet, vast desolation of the desert and the foreboding remnants of the shredded, once-gleaming building were an eerie sight.

"This sure brings back a lot of memories, doesn't it?" said Cecil with a frown. Eric slowly nodded his head in agreement, scowling at the former Cipher facility. Alvin sneered at the remains of the building he had used to call home. He vividly remembered the horrific experiments, all concocted by his black madness. Alvin shuddered, not wanting to think about what may have happened if he actually had succeeded in turning the Guardians of Gardev into agents of darkness and incredible power. Aura tenderly placed her right hand on Alvin's left shoulder. The Gardevoir scientist looked up and met Aura's gentle gaze and bright smile.

"I know what's on your mind, as does Mack," said Aura, trying to reassure Alvin, "You don't have to face your fears and your past alone. We're here for you, just like your former colleagues." Alvin glanced at the people who were now his friends: his twin brother Eric, the former Cipher administrator Cecil, the former soldiers Andre and David were also supporting him. Even Simon, once Alvin's most-hated enemy, was about to go into battle at his side. Alvin looked back up towards the towering, twisted building with a new sense of confidence. He cocked his rifle and glared at the torn front door of the damaged facility.

"Let's get this over with," said Alvin. With that, Mack, Aura and K-1 led the small army of Gardevoirs towards the ruins. Xavier kept a close eye on Mack, Aura and their friends as they disappeared into the dark shadows of the building. Central turned her gaze upon Andre and David.

"I will need you two on the bridge for this operation. Please follow me," said Central, "As for you, Xavier, I've programmed the cargo bay doors to close once you depart. I can detect your telepathy so you can communicate with me in that manner."

"Very well," said Xavier. Central nodded her head and started walking up a set of stairs to the cockpit with Andre and David following close behind. As soon as the suit of armor, Gardevoir and Mewtwo were out of sight, Xavier quickly grabbed the lid of Lucca and Gremlin's crate with his mouth, picked it up and then spat the piece of tempered steel to the other side of the immense cargo bay.

"I assume the coast is clear?" asked Lucca impatiently.

"Of course," said Xavier quietly as Gremlin leapt out of the crate. Lucca climbed out and straightened her black bow and ribbon as soon as her feet were on the metallic floor.

"Thank you, Xavier," said Lucca with a friendly smile.

"You're welcome, just be careful in those ruins," cautioned Xavier, "If you run into trouble, just look for Mack and his friends, alright?" Lucca and Gremlin nodded their heads and then ran out the cargo bay doors with great haste. Xavier was impressed: for a Ralts, Lucca was surprisingly quick on her feet despite her long, white gown. Even Gremlin was having trouble keeping up with her. Xavier laughed to himself as he leisurely stepped out the back of the S-5. As soon as he was fifty yards away from the Guardian's gleaming airship, he spread his mighty wings and took to the skies almost effortlessly. He looked down at the ground with his powerful eyes, watching as Gremlin and Lucca disappeared into the eerie ruins. Though Xavier rarely would ever probe into another being's mind, he had to know why Alvin was so fearful about even stepping into his old, ruined facility. The Lugia didn't dare go too deep into Alvin's mind, but he still had caught a glimpse of the Gardevoir's nightmare.

"I really hope what he saw was indeed just a dream," thought Xavier as he flew higher and higher, eventually disappearing into the thick, dark clouds above. Meanwhile, Mack, Aura and their friends had only just begun their expedition in the pitch-black ruins. Their flashlights provided the only illumination as they made their way deeper and deeper into the building. Mack looked back and forth at the walls as they continued their slow, cautious walk down an undamaged corridor.

"This is amazing," said Mack as he pointed at several scratches dents and partially melted areas of the floor, ceiling and surrounding walls, "Looks like the scars of our battle against the Omegalings are still fresh as ever."

"I'm not picking anything up on Radar or the motion sensors, Mack," said Central over the radio. Mack and company all heard Central's report through their headsets.

"That's a big relief, Central," said Alvin happily, "All the better if we don't find anything down here." His voice echoed down the long, dark corridor.

"Andre, David and I will continue to monitor your progress," said Central, "However; I think I should mention some findings we just unearthed only moments ago."

"Alright," said Mack as he and Aura led the way down the massive hallway, "Lay it on me."

"Well, according to the blueprints I have on hand and the readings I just received from the 3D Mapper, it would appear that the structure is 73 intact and still quite stable," reported Central, "There is no danger of structural collapse in the corridors and any rooms and offices, so long as you stay away from sectors 4, 13 and 14."

"Sector 13…" said Alvin to himself, "That was my main laboratory and the place where I…" Alvin suddenly stopped in his tracks and shivered uncontrollably. Eric came alongside his brother.

"What's wrong?" asked Eric quietly. Alvin gulped loudly.

"Sector 13 is where I reverted my six Alakazams back into Shadow Pokémon while they were still conscious," said Alvin with a shudder, "I can still hear their screams…"

"Isn't that also where you built and used the machine that turned Eric, yourself and me into Gardevoirs, too?" asked Cecil. Alvin replied by nodding his head.

"Well, maybe things are better off that way then," said Mack, "Such machines are best left out of existence."

"I couldn't agree more," said Alvin. Overhearing the conversation, Andre's voice was suddenly heard over the radios.

"Say, wasn't Sector 4 where the MSCR was located? You know, the Master Security Control Room?" asked Andre.

"That is correct," replied David.

"You're both right," remarked Alvin, "Plus, Sector 14 was right next to Sector 15, where the… Seismic Generator Mark II was located." Eric quickly turned his gaze on his brother.

"You mean… you built another one of those contraptions?" asked Eric with disbelief, "Those machines are incredibly dangerous, especially in the wrong hands."

"No kidding…" grumbled Cecil as he took a quick look down another long, dark corridor.

"You're telling me," said Alvin with fear, "Why, I used the Seismic Generator to cause a powerful earthquake right below the Gardevoir city of Olympus as a diversion so my Omegaling strike teams could easily capture all the Gardevoirs and their young."

"Now, I bet you're glad we put an end to your plans, aren't you?" asked Aura with a gentle, reassuring voice. Alvin smiled at Aura and nodded his head.

"So, if Sector 15 is intact, maybe we should start our search there," suggested Mack, "If anything, we have to destroy the Seismic Generator if enough of it is still intact."

"Very much agreed, Mack. Such a machine would indeed need to be disassembled. Imagine if Team Galactic got their hands on that kind of technology. The world could literally be in the palms of their hands," said Central over the radio. Mack was starting to get concerned for the radio signal was getting weaker and weaker the deeper he and his friends descended into the facility ruins.

"Maybe we should send them a welcoming committee one of these days," said Mack with a grin.

"Ah, a welcoming committee armed to the teeth, right my prince?" asked Aura with warm laughter.

"You're right as usual, my princess," replied a smiling Mack.

"Mack, I hate to point this out, but I'm loosing your signal," said Central. Though Central could still be heard clearly, static and interference was starting to build. To make matters worse, Mack, Aura and their accompanying friends had only gone a few hundred yards into the massive building.

"I'm getting that too, Central," said Mack, "How about you run a high-level electromagnetic sweep before we proceed?"

"Affirmative," was Central's reply, "Please wait…"

"What's Central doing, again?" asked Aura with curiosity.

"The high-level electromagnetic sweep is a powerful scan of a building or a machine's electronic components. Usually, I use it to analyze unknown technology to find ways either around security systems or just to see how a given machine works," answered Mack, "In this case, I want to see just how much of this building's power-grid and other systems are still in working order."

"That's a good plan," remarked K-1, "I can provide power to any computers and other such devices if need be as well."

"I, for one, would like to check on the mainframe, myself," said Alvin, "The main control console is not far from here."

"I agree with Alvin," said Central cheerfully, "And the scan is complete. It would appear that 57 of all power and data systems are in working order."

"Perfect. Then let's be on our way," said Mack.

"Beware!" warned Central before Mack and his companions could take another step forward, "The 3D Mapper cannot scan very deep into the ruins. To make matters worse, the S-5's sensors cannot detect anything whatsoever deeper into the facility. Once you step forward about thirty yards, I will no longer be able to spot for or even communicate with you. You and your friends will be on your own."

"I see," said Mack, "If you don't hear from us in the next six hours, head back to Gardev and assemble a rescue party at once."

"Affirmative, Mack," said Central, "God be with all of you." With that, Alvin led Mack, Aura, K-1, Eric and Cecil deeper into the silent, dark and ominous ruins.


	23. Section 23

The Village Guardians

**-74-**

Lucca and Gremlin continued their own little expedition into the Cipher facility ruins. The darkness didn't seem to bother either of the small Pokémon. With a single flashlight to light their way, they moved slowly, but surely, into the wrecked building.

"So, let me get this straight," said Gremlin quietly, "Your plan is to meet up with the Guardians in such a way so you can sketch them, but not have either of us be seen by them?"

"That's the idea," said Lucca matter-of-factly, "I always find that the best way to capture any creature on canvas or paper is to do so when they don't notice you at all."

"Heh!" said Gremlin as a toothy grin spread across his face, "We're so much alike it's almost scary."

"Except I'm not as dense as you," said Lucca with an evil smile.

"That was uncalled for…" grumbled Gremlin.

"Seriously, how else could a Sableye and a single Pikachu annihilate a kitchen as vast as my entire home and studio combined within less than ten minutes?" said Lucca, grinning at the frowning Sableye, "Just be glad I wasn't there. Otherwise, my walls would be covered with the most embarrassing portraits of you and William the world has ever seen. I can only imagine and wish I'd seen the looks on Mack, Warren and Agatha's faces when they saw the results of your disastrous exploit."

"You can shut up now…" snarled Gremlin. Lucca just smiled at the sullen, dark purple ghost. They continued their slow, cautious walk down the dark corridor.

"Still, I have to admire you for your courage," said Lucca, "You may not believe it, but I did read your mind while we were lazing about in that metal crate."

"How could you possibly do that?" demanded Gremlin, "I thought Psychic Types had no means of effecting or even being able to read the minds of Dark Type Pokémon."

"Let's just say I've been practicing long and hard over the years. Plus the training my dear father gave me has proven to be quite useful," said Lucca, "After all, the Elite Guards have to be able to know the intentions of other Pokémon, no matter what their type is in order to keep the peace."

"Okay. I understand that," said a thoroughly confused Gremlin, "But what did you mean when you said you admired my courage?" Lucca smiled at Gremlin: not a nice friendly smile, but the kind that would make your hair stand on end in fright.

"Can't say I know many Pokémon who delight in driving their closest friends crazy," said Lucca in a sadistic tone, "Take Simon, for example. You scare him half to death in the dark, abandoned wing of the palace and then you follow him around, unnoticed for days as he trains Princess Anna." Gremlin chuckled warmly and smiled at Lucca.

"What do you think of all that, eh?" asked Gremlin.

"I think you're absolutely bonkers," answered Lucca, still grinning at Gremlin. They continued their trek down the dark and silent corridors, wondering what might lie ahead.

**-75-**

Though Mack no longer could contact Central for support, he was still determined as ever to explore the dilapidated ruins. So far, there were no sighs that anyone had set foot in the facility since its supposed destruction over 2 years ago. The deep darkness of the immense corridors and the eerie silence had Alvin on edge. Only the presence of the Guardians gave him enough courage to keep going.

"The mainframe's control console should be just ahead," said Cecil, pointing to a set of double doors at the end of the corridor. A thin layer of dust and sand covered all the floors and the absence of footprints was a very comforting sight.

"Looks like no one's been here after all," said Alvin with a sigh of relief.

"I'm afraid we need to explore more of this facility before we will know for certain if these ruins have indeed remained undisturbed," cautioned K-1.

"If we do find anyone down here, we're going to make them wish they had never set foot in this place," growled Simon. The small group stopped in front on the twin sliding doors. Mack tried pressing some keys on a nearby security pad, but he got no response, which was exactly what he expected.

"K-1, I need you get power to this door," requested Mack.

"Not a problem," said K-1, stepping to the front of the group of Pokémon. The doors of his chest compartment opened with a soft hiss and two of K-1's extendable arms slowly emerged. The first arm grabbed onto a small access panel and then tore off the metal plate like it was tissue paper. The second arm reached out and grabbed onto a few of the exposed wires. A faint spark lit up the immediate area as the security pad turned on.

"Now to hack the digital lock…" said K-1 to himself as his other arm reached up to the security pad. K-1 pressed his metallic hand against the keypad.

"How long will this take?" asked Alvin nervously.

"Not long at all," said K-1 as the doors' lock was disengaged. The soft click and the hiss of the twin doors opening broke the almost-frightening silence of the corridors. To Alvin, it would have felt good just to have gotten the door open so easily, but now the Gardevoir scientist was very worried and scared.

"Look at that," said Mack with a frown, pointing his rifle at several sets of footprints all over the room. The unmistakable marks in the dust and sand led to and from the many control consoles lining the walls and a few desks with monitors and keyboards. The footprints then led to another closed door on the opposite side of the dark control room.

"What do you make of all this?" asked Eric with concern. Simon snorted with anger as he quickly studied the footprints.

"Looks like several people with combat boots came in here. I bet they were trying to get information off the mainframe and the other computers in here," said Simon matter-of-factly. K-1 eagerly stepped up to the mainframe, leaving the other set of doors open. Again, he extended his hands and ran then over the main keyboard for the mainframe itself.

"Hmmm…" said K-1 to himself, deep in thought. His keen eyes were scanning the immediate area.

"Found something?" asked Cecil.

"Ah, ha!" said K-1 with delight, "All I have to do is get power to this port right here…" K-1 pressed one of his hands against a large, silvery port to the left of the keyboard.

"Gonna try and activate the mainframe?" asked Eric.

"Yes. I should be able to. A few thousand volts at 500 amps should do the trick," said K-1 just as electricity lanced off the robot's hand and into the access port. Alvin jumped when the loud humming and whirring of the gigantic computer filled the room. The lights in the room finally came to life as well as all the control consoles and nearby computers.

"I don't suppose you could activate all the lights is this facility as well, could you?" asked Eric.

"Negative," replied K-1, "The main generator would have to be switched on and I suspect it has either been severely damaged or even destroyed. I can't produce even 3 of the power required to run everything here." Mack set his rifle down on a nearby desk.

"May as well stay here for now and see what we can find on the computers," said Mack.

"Already done," said K-1, keeping his hand near the power socket to keep the lights and computers in the room active, "It would appear that all the information on the mainframe was erased, possibly copied to an outside source."

"You mean the mainframe was completely blank?!" asked Alvin with disbelief and growing fear.

"Affirmative," replied K-1, "I suspect the recent visitors tried to recover whatever information they could off the mainframe and then completely erased it to cover their tracks."

"I have to agree with you, K-1," remarked Simon, "I believe these tracks are no more than a week old."

"We have to track down whoever did this then!" said Alvin, trying hard not to panic, "K-1! What's the integrity of the data arrays?" K-1 stood still as several lines of code were displayed on the surrounding computers. Alvin was hoping and praying that the data arrays had been considerably damaged.

"The databanks are 100 intact," reported K-1. Alvin dropped to his knees and cried out despairingly. Aura knelt next to the shaken Gardevoir.

"Please calm down, Alvin," said Aura with a gentle and soft voice, "Now. How about you tell us what was on this computer?" Alvin looked up at the winged Gardevoir.

"I'm not going to mince words: we're in deep trouble!" exclaimed Alvin, shaking uncontrollably with fear, "The mainframe contained a complete backup of the information from all my projects as well as Cipher's inner workings! Some of the information was classified to such a high degree, not even I was allowed to look upon it! The Shadow Chamber, Projects Alpha, Beta, Epsilon, Omega, Lambda and Delta just to name a few things! Why, there were even blueprints of my weapons designs, my Shadow Tracker and of the machine I used to permanently turn Eric, Cecil and myself into Gardevoirs!"

"Were the plans for the Seismic Generator also stored on the mainframe?" asked Eric. Alvin looked up at his brother and nodded his head.

"Wait, I thought you destroyed the only backups of all this information yourself when this facility was evacuated," said Mack. Even he was starting to get very worried about this unexpected turn of events.

"I figured the self-destruct cycle would wipe out this entire facility, including the mainframe!" replied a panicking Alvin, "I never imagined the facility would survive the auto-destruct explosives, let alone the mainframe still being in full working order!" Simon leaned against one of the walls.

"I think it's safe to say that we've learned far more than we bargained for in this expedition," said Simon grimly.

"Well, now what should we do?!" demanded Cecil, "We can only assume the worst from all this! After all, who else would want this kind of information except criminals?!" K-1 removed his hand from the computer's power socket, ending the flow of electricity into the mainframe and the control room. The screams of terror that filled the room made K-1 realize he had cut the power and plunged the room into darkness at a very bad time. Mack quickly turned on the flashlight on his visor.

"Would all of you keep it down!" shouted Mack, "Turn on your visor-lights for crying out loud!" Cecil and Alvin were suddenly very quiet and did as Mack commanded.

"Do you suppose the parties involved may have left some clues or may even still be in this facility as we speak?" suggested K-1.

"That's one reason why we have to stay quiet," warned Mack, "Obviously, we will have to conduct a thorough search of this facility for any clues and since we don't know if we're alone down here, we'd better stay together and on alert."

"Works for me," said Eric quietly. Cecil seemed to have an idea.

"Say, what if we tracked down the main generator? Maybe we could restore power to this building and at least get the lights on down here," suggested Cecil.

"A promising idea," said K-1, "The mainframe had no information on the status of the generators. If this large, delicate computer survived, than perhaps the generators are in full working order as well and can be reactivated."

"I remember where the generators are," said Cecil, "I'm going to head down there right now. Is anyone coming with me?" Alvin was fearful of leaving the Guardians, so he said nothing.

"I'll come with you," said Eric with determination.

"Very well," said Cecil, "Let's get going."

"We'll meet up with you at the S-5," said Mack. Cecil nodded his head and then marched out of the dark control room and back into the black corridors with Eric right behind him.

"So, what shall we do in the meantime?" asked K-1.

"We're going to head deeper into the facility," said Mack.

"How about we check on of the Seismic Generator?" suggested Simon, "I vividly remember its location. Most importantly, these footprints seem to lead in the proper direction." Aura and Mack nodded their heads in agreement.

"Sounds like a good idea to me," said K-1.

"The let's be off and hope Cecil and Eric will be alright," said Mack. With that, Mack, Aura, K-1, Simon and Alvin left the now-silent control room and followed the footprints out the other door of the control and deeper into the black abyss. The whole building seemed to be as silent as the grave, but Mack and Aura were starting to suspect that they were not alone as they moved deeper and deeper into the dusty ruins.

**-76-**

Even though all they had to light their way was a small flashlight Lucca and Gremlin did not mind the deep darkness of the old, sandy and dusty ruins. However, the grinning Sableye was really starting to grate on the Ralts artist's nerves.

"…this eerie silence really hones the darkness. It's like a silent, creeping blackness seeping into our minds, leeching away all vestiges of joy and hope," continued Gremlin in a loud, gravely whisper. To say the least, Lucca was not amused.

"You can shut up now, Gremlin…" warned Lucca angrily. The smiling Sableye continued to ignore the complaining Ralts.

"…We have only a meager flashlight to light our way as we move deeper into the black abyss," continued Gremlin in an unnerving voice, "This is the kind of darkness that is only made worse by candlelight, creating twisted shadows that one can never be sure if it was caste by a mere chair, or something far worse…"

"Gremlin… you can stop now…" growled Lucca with increasing rage. Gremlin continued his eerie poem unabated.

"…Just gaze upon the pathetic beam put forth by your small flashlight," continued Gremlin, "The darkness seems to close in about, almost as if some horrible creature of the black is watching and waiting… Waiting for that crucial moment when the light dies and then……SNAP!!… So do we…"

"I WILL clobber you again!!" shouted Lucca with unbridled rage.

"What? I thought you emotional Pokémon loved poetry," said Gremlin, feigning confusion.

"Have you forgotten already that I was trained by an Elite Guard of Olympus?" said Lucca with great impatience, "You keep this up and I'll be using your eyes in a chandelier!"

"So, you really want me watching over you for the rest of your life?" asked Gremlin with a cackle.

"Fine…" grumbled Lucca, "Just please stop pestering me already!"

"Very well," said Gremlin nonchalantly, "Besides, I've got bigger fish to try, or so I hope. I can't imagine that no one has been here for over two years now. You think even law enforcement would conduct a search here, unless, of course, the facility was deemed too dangerous to enter."

"What are you concocting now in that hallow head of yours?" demanded Lucca, "Planning on trying to scare the Guardians of Gardev? You try that and I hope they blow you all the way to Timbuktu, if not to steaming bits. I'll help them, too." Gremlin sneered at the agitated Ralts. He shrugged his shoulders and continued the increasingly-irritating walk down the long, dark corridors. Gremlin didn't want to admit it, but the eerie silence deep in the building was actually starting to get to him. He glanced at Lucca, hoping he could try to have a nice conversation with her without either him or Lucca yelling or insulting each other with every single statement.

"So, you're an artist, huh?" asked Gremlin with a more friendly voice. Lucca snorted with contempt at the dark-purple Sableye.

"Duh!" snapped Lucca. Even though he was trying to be friendly, Lucca was still quite wary of Gremlin.

"I was just curious, what do you specialize in? Oil paintings?" asked Gremlin, trying to be cheerful. For the first time in over an hour, Lucca smiled at the curious Sableye.

"You're right on target," remarked Lucca happily, "Oil paintings are my preferred style. As far as subject matter goes, I like doing still-life's and landscapes. Most of all; however, I love doing large, detailed portraits. I'm actually looking forward to getting started on the wedding portraits for the royal family."

"Am I correct in assuming that you're most eager to begin work on Mack and Aura's portrait?" asked Gremlin.

"Oh, yes!" exclaimed Lucca with delight, "From what I heard, the Guardians of Gardev were the first Gardevoirs to get those beautiful, angelic wings. Makes me wish I had a pair of my own…"

"Well, you'd have to marry into the family and I don't think there is anyone left who hasn't been married or engaged now," said Gremlin, shrugging his shoulders. Lucca laughed.

"Well a pair of wings would make it much easier to work with large canvases and not need a step-ladder or extending brushes," said Lucca, laughing warmly.

"Have you considered evolving? As a Kirlia or a Gardevoir, you would definitely have more reach and much stronger psychic powers," suggested Gremlin. The Sableye almost jumped back when Lucca glared at him.

"I'm happy with just the way I am, thank you," said Lucca.

"It was just a harmless suggestion…" whined Gremlin.

"I know, I know," said Lucca as a smile spread across her face once again, "I'm just perfectly content to be a Ralts."

"I can understand that," said Gremlin with a grin, "I don't know if I can evolve or not, but I kinda like being small: makes it easy for me to hide and sneak up on people."

"Well, you were right about the whole psychic powers bit," said Lucca, "Right now, my telekinetic abilities are downright useless for painting. I just can't get the fine detail and shading I want when trying to make a brush float in the air versus the old-fashioned, hands-on method."

"Speaking of which…" said Gremlin, "I don't mean to pry, but is there some sort of process you use whenever you are about to start work on another painting?"

"I'm surprised you want to know so much about me," said Lucca with a friendly smile, "Okay. You see, the first thing I do is study my subject for awhile. I seem to have an unusually sharp memory and can remember the finest details even if I study a particular scene or person for less than a minute." Gremlin whistled loudly, impressed with Lucca's abilities so far.

"I would like to remember all the faces of every person and Pokémon I've scared in my life," said Gremlin sadistically.

"I bet you'd never have enough room on the walls of your home for that many portraits or sketches," laughed Lucca. Just talking was helping Gremlin feel better. Even Lucca preferred a friendly chat with a grinning Sableye compared to the maddening silence of the deep, dark corridors.

"You're probably right," said Gremlin, "Now, is there anything else you do before starting a painting?"

"Well, there are occasions when I want to study my subject for longer periods of time, so I then make a quick sketch that I will later use for the painting and use my photographic memory as another reference," explained Lucca. Gremlin was just about to remark on how impressed he was with Lucca, when he started to hear footsteps coming from somewhere down the long corridor.

"Sh!" said Gremlin sharply as he and Lucca came to a sudden stop, "Quick, Lucca, turn off your flashlight." Lucca did as Gremlin asked and the two Pokémon were soon plunged into the deep darkness of the metallic corridor. The footsteps got louder and louder, slightly echoing in the massive hallways.

"You think it's the Guardians?" asked Lucca. She could hear the footsteps now as they came closer and closer. The end of the long corridor stopped at a wall and split into two more hallways going left and right. Soon, they could see the light of a bright flashlight, coming closer from down the right side of the hallway. To Gremlin, the footsteps sounded like heavy combat boots: certainly not at all what the Guardians or their friends had put on before entering into the dilapidated building.

"No…" whispered Gremlin, sounding grimly serious, "It's definitely not the Guardians…"

"Who is it, then?" asked Lucca quietly as the light down the hallway continued to get brighter and brighter. The footsteps could be heard clearly and now Lucca and Gremlin were starting to get very worried. Gremlin glared down the hallway with building anger.

"I think it's safe to say we're not alone down here," whispered Gremlin, "We'd better hide and quickly." Lucca looked to her left at the entrance to a large air vent. It was big enough for her and Gremlin to fit through, but was well out of her reach.

"Gremlin, could you please give me a boost up into that air vent?" asked Lucca quietly, pointing at the dusty, open grate of the vent, "I'm not powerful enough to lift myself up there."

"Easy enough," said Gremlin as a faint red light started to glow from within his crystalline blue eyes, "Just hold still." Lucca stood still as calmly as she could as an odd, black aura surrounded her body. Lucca smiled and sighed with relief as the dark force gently lifted her off the floor and into the safety of the old air duct. The eerie light from Gremlin's eyes faded, as did the dark aura. As Lucca leaned against the steel side of the air duct, she heard Gremlin's voice from behind her. She looked over her shoulder, but the smiling Sableye was nowhere to be found.

"You just stay put," said Gremlin in a mischievous tone, "I think I'm going to have a little fun with our intruder and you get to have a front row seat to this little show."

"Now what are you up to?" asked Lucca skeptically, "And how were you able to lift me into the air vent like that? Ghost-Types don't have psychic powers, do they?" Gremlin's voice now seemed to come from directly below the Ralts artist.

"Let's just say we ghosts have our own little brand of power," cackled Gremlin, "My powers tend to be all the more potent and frightening the darker the area is. In this pitch-blackness, I can do just about anything, like effect objects without having to touch them, create horrid apparitions, create eerie sounds that would make your skin crawl or even project my voice."

"I see," said Lucca quietly, "But how are you able to project your voice like that, anyway?" There was a long pause. Gremlin spoke once again and his voice seemed to come from above.

"Um… to be honest… I have no idea," admitted Gremlin as a pair of red eyes and a maw of horrible, twisted teeth appeared less than a yard from Lucca's face, "Now, you just stay out of sight and enjoy the fun."

"Very well," said Lucca as a mischievous smile spread across her face, "This should be worth a few good laughs."

"Oh!" said Gremlin, his voice seeming to come from the disembodied eyes and toothy maw, "If I were you, I'd keep that sketchpad of yours and a pencil handy." One of the glowing, malevolent red eyes winked at Lucca. The artist winked back and smiled as she quickly pulled her sketchpad and a pencil out of her satchel. She moved silently and carefully towards the entrance of the air duct. She then stopped, carefully closed the air duct's grate and sat down quietly with her paper and pencil in hand and just out of sight. The shadows concealed the Ralts quite nicely, despite the increasing brightness of the intruder's flashlight. The loud footsteps came to a stop just a few feet away from the air vent.

"This is scout 4," said a gruff voice, "I think I might have something here." Lucca then heard another masculine voice clearly, but softly over a radio."

"What do you have to report, corporal?" asked the voice. Lucca peered out of the grate of the air duct. She stared at what seemed to be a human with a black hood and cape over his head that also covered his back. The black armor of the soldier resembled the kind once worn by Cipher troopers. Lucca vividly remembered when she had been captured by the strange Pokémon soldiers after a freak earthquake had destroyed her home and studio. She would never forget the white masked and armored humans that had looked her over carefully and imprisoned her with the rest of the other Ralts, Kirlias, Gardevoirs and Gallades in the very building she was now standing in.

"I had hoped I'd seen the last of these freaks!" thought Lucca fearfully, "What on earth are they doing here?!" She kept her gaze fixed on the trooper. She could just barely make out the facial features of a young man in the darkness and bright light.

"I found two sets of small footprints," said the scout, taking a strange, large rifle off his shoulders and holding it in his gloved hands, "The footprints just suddenly stop here near this old air vent. It doesn't look like whatever left these footprints turned around. They just suddenly come to a stop."

"I see… Crack!… grea… ork… Bzzt!… sco… or… re… urn… o…" said the voice over the radio as static and interference started to drown out the conversation.

"I didn't copy that, captain," said the scout, "Please repeat." The only reply the scout heard was static over his radio. The scout turned his gaze back on the small footprints.

"What's going on here?" asked the scout quietly to himself, "And what's the deal here with these two sets of footprints that suddenly stop at this very spot?!" Gremlin was hiding in the shadows nearby and the scout's questions did demand an answer. The scout jumped when he suddenly heard loud, evil laughter echoing down the corridor.

"What is the meaning of this?" said the scout to himself as he again spoke into his radio, "Captain! Are you there?!" The maniacal, unnerving laughter seemed to be coming from every direction at once. Despite the scout's best attempts, he could not get a message out to his commanding officer.

"Welcome to my domain… foolish mortal…" said a demonic voice from behind the frightened young man. He slowly turned around with his rifle in his hands; however, he saw nothing.

"Who are you?" demanded the scared scout. Again, the evil, frightening laugher echoed down the corridor and could be heard from all over.

"Why, I'm the reason why those footprints stop dead before you," laughed the evil, sinister voice from the darkness, "Those two young, tender Pokémon were delicious…" The scout tried his best not to panic or show any fear, but now the bright lights mounted on his helmet were becoming dimmer and dimmer. In a matter of moments, the young soldier was plunged into the deep darkness of the dusty ruins. Again, the unseen creature or demon erupted with horrible, nightmarish laughter. The scout had had enough of this and he bravely held out his rifle with his right hand on the trigger, sticking his weapon out into the blackness, hoping his aim was true.

"Alright!" shouted the armored man forcefully, "Whoever or whatever you are: show yourself this instant!" He only wished he was as fearless as he had sounded. Suddenly, the white rifle jerked violently in the man's arms as a loud, sickening "Crunch!" echoed down the massive, dark hallways. The scout jumped back a few feet out of fright, noticing that his rifle now weighed a lot less than it should have. A frightful silence filled the corridor and the trooper now feared for his life. A few moments later; however, the lights on the scout's helmet again shined in full force, lighting up the immediate area.

"Corporal, do you copy?" said the commanding officer, clear as day through the scout's radio, built into his helmet, "We lost contact with you for a few minutes. Is everything alright in your sector?" The scout wanted to believe what had just happened was nothing but a hallucination or that he had somehow fallen asleep into a horrible nightmare for a brief time. Still, he looked down at the remains of his rifle: the barrel, the ammo magazine, the sights and everything just centimeters past the trigger guard was missing. He let the rifle fall to the floor. He quickly realized he was, by no means, dreaming. Lucca, on the other hand, was as happy as could be.

"I just have to get this!" thought Lucca with sheer delight as she hastily drew in her sketchbook, "The look on that moron's face when he saw his half-eaten rifle was priceless!"

"Corporal? Are you there?" asked the commanding officer with concern. The scout said nothing as the sound of loud crunching seemed to come from directly behind the frightened man. He froze in his tracks: the sound of smacking lips and moving jaws were just inches from his left ear.

"Not bad, not bad, mortal!" laughed the insidious voice, "Still, I wonder what your soul tastes like…"

"Corporal?!" shouted the commanding officer, "What the devil is going on over there?! Respond at once!"

"Commander…" said the scout as his eyes and mouth opened wide in immense terror, "WE'RE NOT ALONE DOWN HERE!!"

"You could not be closer to the truth," said Gremlin in his nightmarish voice. The ghost Pokémon erupted with loud, echoing and maniacal laughter as the poor, terrified young soldier ran down the corridor, screaming at the top of his lungs. Lucca hopped out of the air duct, landing softly on the floor as soon as she could no longer see the human's lights or hear his footsteps in the corridor. Lucca grinned and turned on her small flashlight just as Gremlin faded into view from out of the darkness. The ghost was smiling like a rich, young child on his birthday who had just received a mountain's worth of presents.

"Did you get some sketches?" asked Gremlin with glee. Lucca was all too happy to show Gremlin the early stage of her work.

"The shading and line-art on these is impeccable…" said Gremlin, amazed and excited, "And we're just getting started!" Lucca quickly stuffed her pencil and paper back into her satchel.

"So, are we going to follow that idiot or what?" asked Lucca with mock impatience.

"Yes we are," replied Gremlin matter-of-factly as he plucked up the half-eaten remains of the scout's rifle. He eagerly took large bites off the high-quality gun metal with delight.

"I thought Sableyes ate rocks and rich mineral deposits," remarked Lucca, "But I didn't know you liked to eat metal, too." Gremlin let out a loud belch as the butt of the gun disappeared down into his throat.

"These highly-processed metals are the best! Especially such fine carbon steel!" said Gremlin with great happiness, "The bullets were pretty tasty too, but gunpowder always gives me gas." Lucca laughed at Gremlin.

"So, what's your plan for our next move?" asked a happy Lucca. Gremlin again showed his familiar toothy grin.

"You're gonna love this one," said Gremlin with a dark and sinister tone of voice. This only made Lucca all the happier.


	24. Section 24

The Village Guardians

**-77-**

For Cecil and Eric, the going had been slow, yet steady as they cautiously walked down the long and silent corridors. They kept their weapons at the ready, especially after they had faintly heard a blood-curdling scream from somewhere deep in the ruins.

"Anyone who says there is no such thing as ghosts is selling something," grumbled Cecil. Eric nodded in agreement.

"At least Ghost-Type Pokémon have been scientifically confirmed," said Eric, trying to reassure Cecil in some manner, but this statement, needless to say, didn't make Cecil feel any better in the least.

"I'm really beginning to think the Guardians, their friends and us are not the only ones down here," said Cecil confidently. The former Cipher admin was clearly scared. Eric was frightened as well and the memories of Dr. Namwen's horrors only made the Gardevoir scientist all the more terrified.

"What's this?" said Cecil as his gaze fell on the dusty floor of the large hallway. Two sets of footprints came from a hallway to the right and continued down the corridor that Cecil and Eric were now walking down. The footprints then seemed to come back from the opposite direction, out of the dark and then back down the hallway to the right.

"What do you make of this?" asked Eric.

"The tracks are definitely fresh," said Cecil as he knelt down as examined the footprints in the sand and dust, "Looks like the same kind of footprints left behind by Cipher combat boots." Eric was now even more fearful.

"Do you think Cipher came back after all, despite a crushing defeat at the hands of the Guardians and a young boy?" asked Eric with uneasiness in his voice. Cecil wished he had a clear answer for his good friend, for Eric was getting more and more terrified the deeper and deeper they went into the old ruins.

"I wish I knew," said Cecil reassuringly, "Still, I think we should press on. The Guardians are counting on us to find and start the main generator back up. I don't know about you, but getting the lights back on will make me feel a lot better! Besides, I'm not going to leave you behind."

"Thank you, Cecil," said Eric with a sigh of relief.

"Anytime," replied Cecil, "Now let's keep moving." With that, the two armed Gardevoirs continued their quiet descent into the darkened facility. They moved silently and carefully, hoping their presence would go unnoticed by whoever or whatever might be hiding in the shadows. For another twenty minutes, they kept walking down the large hallways. Much to Cecil's dismay, the footprints went in the very same direction he and Eric were going. Cecil glanced over his shoulder at Eric.

"Just another fifty yards or so and we should be at the main power room," said Cecil with a gentle tone of voice. For the first time in many hours, Eric smiled.

"Not a moment too soon," said Eric happily, "How did that saying go? 'It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness?' I think that's the one I'm looking for."

"That certainly applies in this situation!" said Cecil with warm laughter. Only a few minutes passed when they came upon the destination of the unknown visitors' footprints. They stopped right at an unlocked and slightly-opened heavy metal door.

"What have we here?" said Cecil gruffly, "Looks like our visitors were looking for something in this room." Eric glanced and pointed the light on the end of his rifle at a small sign above the door: this doorway lead to a storeroom. Cecil cautiously opened the door: the metal door creaked loudly on its sandy hinges. With only the light on his rifle to pierce into the darkness, Cecil looked about the storeroom. The dozens and dozens of shelves were nearly all empty.

"What do you think was kept in here?" asked Eric with curiosity. Cecil glanced back at Eric, pointing his rifle at several dusty and empty gun cabinets, gun racks and lockers.

"I remember stepping in here once before the night I was turned into a Gardevoir by your brother," said Cecil, vividly remembering the day, "This room was filled to the brim with non-perishable foods and drinks. Not to mention a huge storage area for stun-guns, handguns, sub-machine guns, high-powered rifles, grenades, shotguns and millions of rounds of ammunition. Of course, there were also plenty of 10 and 12 gauge buckshot shells as well. May have even been some Sabot rounds in here."

"Body armor, too?" asked Eric with hesitation. Cecil grimly nodded his head in reply.

"RPG Launchers with even more ammo… just about anything you could imagine. I think they kept all this hardware here just in case they would have had to deal with fully-armed commandoes, mechanized infantry and aircraft. That is, before Project XD could be fully implemented and the creation of countless thousands of Shadow Pokémon had failed," explained Cecil, "I may as well tell you about the most horrifying discovery I made in here that fateful day. Are you ready?" Eric closed the lid on an empty ammo crate, dusted it off and sat down on the green lid.

"Go ahead," replied Eric.

"There were also thousands of those anti-Pokémon rifles that your brother created with almost endless ammunition to compliment that frightful menagerie. Remember? Dr. Namwen's rifles could effortlessly pierce through the barriers that some Pokémon can create as a defense. Not to mention the ammunition was designed to be as lethal as possible," said Cecil, "You and I have both seen those powerful weapons in action."

"Personally, I wish I had not," said Eric with a frown.

"Well, we will just have to let the Guardians know about this when we see them again," said Cecil, "Now, we'd better get going and get that generator back on line. The power room isn't more than 25 yards from here."

**-78-**

Gremlin and Lucca had carefully followed the frightened soldier down several corridors without being seen. Now, the shaken soldier was trying his best to convince his superior officer and colleagues to leave the dark and dusty ruins with great haste. For the mischievous Sableye and Ralts, this situation was just another golden opportunity.

"You're absolutely bonkers!" said a gruff voice in the distance. This seemed to be the voice of the commanding officer.

"You think I would make this up?!" complained the soldier.

"You know very well that this place isn't haunted!" said the first voice, "I've led dozens of salvage operations in this old facility without a hitch and now you want me to believe that there's some sort of evil demon or ghost on the loose down here?!" Gremlin cackled quietly to himself.

"Look's like I scared him within an inch of his life," said Gremlin with glee as he and Lucca cautiously peaked around a corner. They found a group of six soldiers in the middle of a large, otherwise empty office. Only the small, mounted lights on their helmets provided any illumination in the deep darkness.

"You think I'm trying to get vacation time or get excused from this mission?!" shouted the scout, "No way! I want to see that every possible resource is salvaged from these sandy ruins!"

"That will be enough, Private Ron!" snapped the officer.

"Yes, sir," said the soldier with respect, but also with anger. Lucca glanced at Gremlin: the big, toothy grin on his face could only have meant that the sneaky Sableye was cooking up another great idea, just for the soldiers.

"So, are you gonna go in there and scare the living daylights out of those humans while a sketch them or what?" asked Lucca with mock impatience.

"I would," replied Gremlin with an evil smile, "But I have a better idea…" Gremlin bent over close to Lucca and whispered his dastardly plan to the giggling Ralts artist.

"Oh, I love it!" said Lucca with quiet and sinister laughter.

"I knew you would," said Gremlin as he cracked his knuckles, "Now, let's begin and don't worry, if you get into any trouble, I'm more than capable of defending you."

"Very well," said Lucca with a smile.

"Now the real fun begins…" said Gremlin with devious tone of voice as he disappeared into the darkness. As Lucca turned away from Gremlin and walked down the darkened corridor towards the arguing soldiers. To say the least, Ron was not happy, especially now that his comrades were mocking him.

"Look out… flying POT!" said another soldier mockingly as he came up from behind Ron and lightly hit him in the back of his helmet with a rusted sauce pan, "Ghosts in the garbage!"

"Shut up, Johnson!" snarled Ron, "Heh! I wish that evil spirit would devour the lot of you!"

"Look at me!" said yet another soldier with sarcasm as he waved his arms around, "I'm an evil spirit, an evil spirit!"

"Quiet in the ranks!!" shouted the commanding officer with great impatience. The other soldiers quickly came to attention.

"Maybe I can trade you morons to that demon for my own life…" grumbled Ron angrily.

"I said QUIET!!" yelled the officer as loud as he could, his voice echoing down the massive corridors of the otherwise silent ruins, "That will be enough shenanigans from all of you! In case you didn't remember, we're in the middle of the final sweep in a crucial salvage operation and we can not be discovered! So put a lid on it and let's get back to work!"

"Yes, sir!" said the other five soldiers with respect.

"Ralts!" said a gentle, small voice from nearby. The soldiers slowly turned around: at the opposite end of the dark room stood a single Ralts, illuminated by their helmet-mounted lights.

"Well, looks like we found your 'Evil Demon,' Ron," sniggered one of the other soldiers.

"Oh, shut up!" said Ron with growing rage.

"Ralts?" said the little Pokémon in its gentle, sweet voice.

"Well, I'll be," said the officer with amazement, "I wonder how this little Ralts got down here?"

"Maybe the little one got lost?" suggested Ron.

"Looks like a female Ralts," said the officer, "Her very gentle voice gives it away. A male Ralts would have a slightly gruffer voice, yet still quite gentle." The Ralts looked up at the officers with growing fear and started to back away from the group of six humans.

"Oh, you don't have to be afraid," said Ron as he knelt down on his right knee.

"Ralts?" said the Ralts as she glanced at Ron.

"Well, Captain? What should we do?" asked another soldier, "I don't think we should leave her down here." The captain nodded his head in agreement.

"I think so as well," said the captain, "We can't leave a young Pokémon down here without food or clean water."

"I think this little cutie will be a perfect companion for my daughter," said Ron, "She always wanted a Ralts to start her Pokémon journey with."

"You can have her, then Private," said the captain as he turned his gaze on another soldier, "Corporal: capture that Ralts." The soldier nodded as he removed a Pokéball from his utility belt.

"You sure you want a little demon for your daughter?" asked the soldier with a very irritating tone of voice. Ron gave his comrade a dirty look.

"Just capture it before it gets away," said the captain softly, "And try not to scare her."

"As you wish, sir," said the soldier with a scowl as he wound up for a hearty toss.

"Ralts!" said the Ralts with a fearful cry as she slowly backed away from the soldiers.

"Don't worry, I'm going to take very good care of you," said Ron softly and with a gentle smile.

"Now for the final pitch! You're mine now, Ralts!" said the other soldier with grin as he let the Pokéball fly forward with surprising speed.

"RAAAALTS!!" screamed the little Pokémon with sheer terror as the Pokéball flew towards her. Suddenly, before the ball came within three feet of the scared Ralts, the Pokéball stopped in mid air, being held in place by an unseen force. The Ralts closed its eyes as the lights on the soldiers' helmets started to dim. The once clean and silent sound on their radios was soon replaced with static and harsh interference.

"Oh, no!!" screamed Ron, "It's come back!!"

"Poppycock!" said the captain with no fear, "Men: check you batteries and radios on the double! Try replacing the power cells!" The soldiers did as they were commanded, but replacing the batteries did nothing and soon they were all plunged into the deep darkness of the sandy ruins and unable to call for help. Ron was shaking in his boots as a hideous voice echoed in the room from behind.

"Well, well…" said the demonic voice, "What have we here…?"

"Please leave me alone!!" screamed Ron, "You can have these men instead of meeeee!!"

"That will be quite enough, Ron!" shouted the fearless captain, "Show yourself, you stupid beast or whatever you are!!"

"As you wish…" said the voice as hideous laughter seemed to be coming from somewhere in the ceiling, "May as well let my doomed prey know what they are dealing with…" The frightened soldiers drew close to each other as a ring of eerie, blue fire surrounded them, dimly lighting up the room.

"I'm not afraid of you and your parlor tricks!" said the captain defiantly as he drew his rifle and quickly cocked it.

"…Oh… you will be… you… will… beeee…" said the evil voice as a shadow slowly faded into view a few feet above the frightened Ralts, "There is no… escape now…" Ron screamed at the top of his lungs as a pair of red, malevolent and glowing eyes appeared. The other men trembled when they saw a large maw of horrible, sharp, long and twisted teeth in the darkness.

"I don't believe in ghosts, I don't believe in ghosts!" said Ron with terror over and over again as he closed his eyes.

"How dare you fools attack my ward!" said the nightmarish creature of darkness as it hovered over the Ralts.

"Look, I'll just be going now…" said Ron with a nervous smile as he got ready to run for his life when the dark spirit suddenly reappeared with its horrible mouth just inches from Ron's face.

"No…" said the spirit, "You will stay right here, unless you would rather be my next snack." Ron nodded his head with great fear and took a few steps away from the evil spirit as it vanished and then reappeared above the cowering Ralts again.

"You have some nerve coming into my domain," said the spirit as its horrid mouth showed a cruel smile. The captain was still steadfast and he kept his finger on the trigger of his weapon, ready to open fire at any moment.

"Then you try and take my little… friend from me…" said the evil spirit. The Ralts slowly stood up straight, faced the soldiers and opened its eyes. The five soldiers shrieked when they saw that the Ralts's once gentle eyes were now glowing red with an evil power. The captain dropped his weapon onto the floor as his eyes and mouth opened wide from sheer terror. He could not believe what was happening: he, a veteran from the Navy Seals with decades of service was now scared to death of a Ralts!

"Raaalts…" said the Ralts happily as she looked up at the black spirit. The sight of the little Pokémon with its glowing eyes and content smile was downright unnerving, maybe almost as much as the sight of the ghost the soldiers had unwittingly awakened.

"Now you shall pay…" said the dark spirit, "You! The mortal with the Pokéball! You will eat that thing this instant!"

"And… and… If I… refuse?" asked the soldier, quaking with fear. The evil spirit smiled again.

"Then my little one and I are going to have the best feast we've had in a long time," cackled the demon, "Those last two little Pokémon were hardly a mouthful for both of us."

"That's why those sets of footprints suddenly stopped dead in that corridor!" yelled Ron.

"You are correct," said the malevolent spirit. Ron glanced at the soldier as he held the Pokéball in his right hand.

"You better do as he says…" said Ron with a nervous gulp.

"You better hurry, too," said the ghost as it gnashed its teeth, "My patience is wearing thin…" The soldier gulped as he crushed the hard device in his fists. The other soldiers watched closely and with fear as their comrade choked and gagged on the rough plastic and metal. After several heart-wrenching moments, the soldier managed to swallow the last of the wiring. The Ralts smiled again in her unnerving manner as a dark hand appeared above her. The spirit smiled as it gently stroked the Ralts.

"That's a good girl," said the spirit tenderly, "You just watch and learn. Soon, this domain will be all yours."

"Um…" said Ron with immense hesitation, "Can we go now?" The spirit turned about to face the soldiers and flashed them a menacing grin.

"Surely you don't think I'm going to let you get away so easily, do you?" laughed the demon, "Now you will drop your weapons or me and my little friend will consume you all." The Ralts grinned and opened its mouth, revealing a pair of frightful, sharp vampire-like fangs.

"She always did have a taste for fresh flesh and blood!" said the evil spirit as it erupted with maniacal laughter.

"Remember what Lord Cyan told us?" whispered the captain to the soldiers, "If we lose our weapons for any reason and go back to base without them we'll all be demoted to janitors!"

"That's not much worse than being a private…" muttered Ron.

"Enough!" shouted the captain as he swiftly picked up his rifle, "RETREAT!!" With that, the group of six terrified soldiers, jumped over the ring of blue fire and made a mad dash down the corridor, screaming loudly. As they ran down the hallway, the lights and radios on their helmets started to work again.

"Lord Cyan is not going to like this!" thought the captain with dread, "Still, his wrath is going to be heaven compared to staying with that vile creature!" Lucca smiled, still with her sharp white fangs and looked up at Gremlin in his horrible form.

"An 'A' for Performance, an 'A' for enthusiasm, but only a solid 'C' for Objectives Completed," said Lucca with a smirk as she walked out of the room for about a minute.

"Hey!" shouted Gremlin down the hallway, talking through his nightmarish maw, "You should have at least given me a 'B-' for all that! Now all we have to do is follow their footprints and that should lead us to their base or even whoever is spearheading their operations down here!" Lucca rounded the corner with her small flashlight turned on and with her satchel back on her left shoulder.

"I guess you're right," said Lucca, shrugging her shoulders, "Besides, now I have plenty of ideas for my next paintings."

"Anything for my little precious," said Gremlin, reaching down to stroke Lucca with his large, black hand. Moments later, Gremlin screamed as Lucca bit into his hand. With his loss of concentration, Gremlin quickly reverted back to his Sableye form. He shook his hand vigorously, wincing from the pain.

"Was it really necessary to bite me?" snarled Gremlin, "And while you still had those fangs my powers had given you?!"

"Yep," said Lucca nonchalantly as she straightened her green hair, "Now, are we going after those idiots or not?"

"Hmph!" said Gremlin, "Of course we are."

"You think we'll run into the Guardians before long?" asked Lucca, "They are the main reason why I came here in the first place." Gremlin was deep in thought as the pain in his hand soon started to fad away.

"We're bound to run into them," said Gremlin, "Now, I want you to stay back this time and just sketch. I'll handle those soldiers. Besides, I'm looking forward to scaring the heck out of their commanding officer." Lucca giggled.

"Then I can only expect some more great sketches," said Lucca with glee, "Lead the way." With that, Gremlin and Lucca started down the shadowed corridor, following the footprints of the hapless soldiers into the darkness.


	25. Section 25

The Village Guardians

**-79-**

Mack and Aura glanced at each other as they heard more faint screams echo from somewhere even deeper in the facility ruins.

"This is really starting to freak me out," said Mack, keeping his rifle close to his chest, "So far, all we've found down here are footprints, empty rooms, a broken mainframe and then, to top it all off, we've heard nothing but silence, some spooky-sounding wind and bloodcurdling screaming!"

"I cannot pinpoint the exact location of the screams," reported K-1 as he walked behind the Guardians and next to Alvin, "It would appear that something is jamming my sensors."

"You think that's unnerving, so far, everything from my nightmare has come true," said Alvin with fear. Aura glanced over her right shoulder and smiled, trying to reassure her frightened friend.

"We don't have to keep exploring now that we know someone has been down here," said Aura with a gentle tone of voice, "We can head back to the surface now, can't we, Mack?"

"Yes," replied Mack, "But we don't have a way to contact Eric and Cecil with all our radios dead. I'm not going to leave those two down here on their own."

"I agree," said K-1, "We should not leave our friends behind in this eerie place. Besides, at least we know that something is only jamming our radio signals and sensors. Mack, our standard radios have never let us down before. I suspect that whoever is residing down here may also be trying to mask their activities to some degree."

"I bet they never thought anyone would explore these ruins as thoroughly as we have," remarked Simon, "Otherwise, they would never have left any footprints or traces behind." Mack stopped walking. Aura reflexively followed suit with her husband. Mack turned around to face Alvin as he, Simon and K-1 came to a stop.

"Okay, Alvin," said Mack as he approached Alvin, "I think it's high time you told us about your nightmare."

"Indeed," said Simon, "I think we can now confirm what Alvin saw last night was not a nightmare, but a premonition." Alvin nodded his head, but he was still hesitant to describe his nightmare.

"Maybe he knows of possible traps or other pitfalls that may lie ahead?" suggested K-1. Alvin let out a heavy sigh.

"So far, everything I saw in my dream has come true," said Alvin as he cocked his rifle, "Which leads me to believe that we are not alone down here. I'll take the lead. As for all of you, keep your weapons close and be ready to attack."

"Care to enlighten us on what is going to happen?" asked Simon.

"Let's just head to the training coliseum and pray we don't find anyone down there," said Alvin. Mack, Aura, Simon and K-1 followed closely as Alvin walked down the massive, dark corridors towards the very rooms where, just a few years ago, the scientist had nearly killed the Gardevoirs who were now among his closest friends.

**-80-**

"Captain Timothy," said a gruff voice from the back of the huge coliseum dome, "Why have you returned from your patrol so soon and why are all of you so scared? Why, you all look like you've seen a ghost." The coliseum was still very well intact, despite the battle that had raged there between the Guardians of Gardev and the vile Dr. Namwen not so long ago.

"You could not be more correct, Lord Cyan," said Timothy with uneasiness as he slowly approached his commander, "We encountered some sort of evil being in the corridors. It would appear the information we got from the reconnaissance and survey crews was flawed." Cyan Drake was now one of the top officers in a new, highly-secretive criminal organization.

"I believe your assumption is what is false, Captain," said Cyan as he stood up from a large, black leather chair, "I had hundreds of agents rummaging through these ruins for the last year for parts, equipment, weapons and raw materials. Why would a ghost or any other being want to attack us now that there is nothing left to defend but a broken super computer and a load of empty hallways and rooms?" Like the other high officials in the organization, Cyan was rarely seen on the field and his presence commanded respect from all his subordinates. Cyan and the other high commanders also dressed in a most unusual fashion. Just last month, Cyan started to don a long, heavy black cloak with a large hood and a black mask to hide his face. The cloak covered him from head to toe while the long and large sleeves kept Cyan's hands hidden from sight. Timothy could not help but stare at Lord Cyan with wonder and curiosity, but also with fear.

"I agree with you, sir," said Timothy with a respectful bow.

"Nonetheless, I'm calling in reinforcements for one last sweep of this facility," said Cyan as he turned his back to the captain, "I trust you have found nothing else besides that ghost and its ward, the Ralts?"

"How did you know about that demonic Ralts?" asked Timothy.

"I have my ways," said Cyan as he turned back around to glare at Timothy and the other soldiers, "One day you shall all get to taste the power I now wield as we move to conquer the world. With the great Dr. Namwen's knowledge to guide us, even the Guardians of Gardev, nor will any Pokémon or man, be able to stop us. Now, I want the six of you to guard the entrance to this room while I call more soldiers. Understood?"

"Yes, Lord Cyan," said Captain Timothy as he lead his comrades out of the darkened coliseum and into the blackness of the hallways and corridors. Lucca quickly climbed into an air vent and closed the grill the moment she heard the approaching men. She peeked out through the thin openings of the grill as the same six soldiers from before ran by with great haste. As Lucca waited patiently in her hiding place, Gremlin was phasing through the ceiling of the immense, underground coliseum. He grinned when he laid his gemstone eyes on the man who surely was in charge of whatever was transpiring deep in the ruins.

"So…" thought Gremlin with glee, "You're Lord Cyan and you're one of the top nimrods in some sort of criminal gang, eh? Well, I think I'm going to enjoy terrorizing you all the more."

"Who's there?" shouted Cyan as he looked up towards the ceiling. Gremlin was completely invisible in the darkness, but he had the strangest feeling that he had been spotted.

"You had better reveal yourself, for your sake," snarled Cyan, "I know you're up there. Come down this instant!"

"How could he have sensed my presence?" thought Gremlin as he quickly phased back into the ceiling and out of sight just as Cyan aimed a spot lamp right where the Sableye had been hiding in the black shadows.

"I do enjoy a good 'Demon' hunt," said Cyan as a smile spread across his masked face, "I know you'll be back." Cyan was really starting to enjoy his newfound and potent powers. He picked up a nearby hand radio from the left armrest of his chair.

"Captain," said Cyan though the radio, "I want you to return to the coliseum on the double. There's been a change of plans."

"Yes, sir!" was Captain Timothy's reply. Lucca was sitting quietly in the air duct when suddenly…

"How's it going?" shouted Gremlin from behind Lucca in an attempt to startle her. Instead, Gremlin yelped with pain as Lucca slapped him quick and hard on his face, knocking the stunned Sableye's left eye loose again.

"I'm feeling much better now," said Lucca with a scowl, "You need to stop trying to scare me. It's very hazardous to your health." Gremlin muttered to himself as he carefully stuffed the large gemstone back into the empty eye socket.

"I'm inclined to agree," said Gremlin just as he and Lucca heard a group of soldiers run past the grate of the air duct and back towards the indoor coliseum.

"Now where are those idiots going?" asked Lucca.

"Probably back to that huge training area," said Gremlin with a mischievous smile, "The more in one place, the better! Let's get going, Lucca! I have some pitiful soldiers to scare and you've got some portraits to draw!"

"That I do," said Lucca with enthusiasm. Meanwhile, the reinforcements had arrived just moments ago and now Cyan had 100 capable soldiers at his disposal. Nearly all of them had once been members of Cipher.

"What are your orders, my lord?" asked a field commander.

"You are to stay here and await my instructions," said Cyan, "Our prey will be coming right to us." At that moment, all the soldiers' lights went out and nothing could be heard over their radios but static.

"Oh, not again…" whined Ron.

"Stand your ground, you spineless fool," said Cyan, "Just watch and learn." Evil laughter filled the domed room and echoed off the high walls and the massive ceiling. The other soldiers glanced nervously at one another as Cyan stood still, unfazed.

"Surely you can do better than that," said Cyan, calling out to whatever was hiding in the darkness.

"You're just asking for trouble…" said a demonic voice as the same pair of glowing red eyes and their accompanying toothy maw appear out of the darkness, "…and now you've got it."

"Be gone," said Cyan, "You have no way to win here." The evil spirit erupted with more nightmarish laughter.

"You're just begging me to end your pathetic life," cackled the dark ghost, "I shall enjoy consuming your very soul!"

"Then go ahead," said Cyan, taunting the spirit as a smile spread across his face, hidden by the black mask, "Eat me." Meanwhile, Eric and Cecil had reached the generator room and were about to restore power to the entire facility.

"Everything checks out," said Eric as he gazed at a computer screen. Aside from Eric and Cecil's flashlights, the computer screen was the only other thing that provided any light in the large, dark room.

"What are you doing, Eric?" asked Cecil, "And how come that computer has any power at all?"

"First off, I'm checking the status of the facility power grid and isolating the damaged areas," answered Eric, "Second, it would appear that most of the computers and control systems in here have emergency power packs."

"Ah, I see," said Cecil as he looked over Eric's right shoulder, "So, all you have to do is press a few buttons and we'll have the lights back on in this place?"

"Pretty much," said Eric he quickly pressed several keys on a nearby keyboard. Moments later, a Plexiglas panel slid away from a large red button in the middle of the control panel in front of Eric. Eric reached down and pressed the button. Suddenly, the room shook violently and a soft whirring could then be heard.

"Well, that did it," said Cecil, "The generator is starting to spin up." Eric nodded the whirring became progressively louder and louder. Soon, the main generator was fully armed and a message appeared on the computer screen:

--

Power-up Complete…

Reengaging main and backup systems…

Do you wish to activate all power grid systems?

Yes No

--

"Yes!" shouted Eric and hit the Enter key on the keyboard. Almost immediately, the other computers, control panels and the lights in the room turned on.

"That was… very easy," remarked Cecil.

"Who says everything about computers has to be complicated?" said Eric, "Now all we have to do is wait and watch as the rest of the building comes back online." Mack, Aura and Alvin jumped when the lights in the corridor suddenly turned on. The light was blinding, especially after they had been walking around in almost complete darkness for several hours.

"It would appear that Eric and Cecil were successful in their mission," said K-1.

"No kidding!" shouted Simon. Due to his large claws, he really had no way to cover his eyes.

"Either way, we have to get to the training coliseum at once," said Mack, "It's not much further from here." As the Guardians and their companions ran towards the bottom levels of the ruins, Cyan was taunting the black spirit.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" demanded Cyan, "I'm standing right here, stiff as a board." The ghost laughed again. The soldiers were all greatly unnerved.

"You asked for it!" laughed the evil spirit, "Now you shall meet a horrible, painful and hellish fate!"

"Oh, dear," said Cyan with sarcasm and a yawn, "I'm so scared."

"Well," said the ghost, "It's lunch time! Ha, ha, ha, ha…!" Without warning, the large area lights of the arena clicked on with a bright flash. Cyan didn't even flinch as the rest of the soldiers reflexively covered their eyes. Cyan smiled and laughed at the Sableye, standing not more than twenty yards away with his arms held up in a threatening manner.

"Ha! Ha, ha, ha! Ha…ha……ha………uh-oh…" said Gremlin sheepishly. His powers of illusion were completely useless whenever he was in bright light.

"Hmph!" scoffed Cyan, "You were all scared by single Sableye." Gremlin smiled nervously as he took a few steps back away from the 100 or so angry soldiers.

"Um…" said Gremlin with fear as he waved at the soldiers, "Hi! Erm… are you all having a nice day?"

"Give me that," said Cyan happily as he pulled a rifle away from one of the soldiers and aimed it at Gremlin, "Now, what were you saying about devouring my soul?"

"Uh… that it would be good with ketchup?" replied Gremlin. Cyan said not a word as he pulled the trigger on his weapon. Instantly, an orb of electricity shot out of the barrel and through the air with great speed, colliding with the irritating Sableye. Lucca was standing behind a corner, sketching and observing Gremlin and the soldiers when the Sableye went flying backwards down the long hallway at great speed, covered with an aura of potent electricity. Cyan lowered his weapon and then pointed down the hallway with his right arm.

"After that Sableye," ordered Cyan, "We may actually have some use for him, but take your time. It would not surprise me if he had several companions with him." Gremlin continued flying down the hallway until he finally landed hard against a metal wall. He dropped to the ground as the painful electricity around his body quickly faded away. His head didn't feel quite right and a glance at one of the shiny, metal walls soon told him that his cracked left eye had been knocked loose once again.

"Not again!" yelled Gremlin as he looked down each of the corridors for his eye, all while the thundering footsteps from the approaching soldiers got louder and louder.

"Gremlin!!" shouted a familiar voice from Gremlin's left and down the long corridor.

"Oh, no…" said Gremlin to himself, "Here comes Simon." He smiled nervously as the Guardians, Simon and Alvin charged down the hallway, coming to a stop just a few yards away from the embarrassed and worried Sableye.

"What are you doing here?" demanded Simon, tapping his right foot with impatience, "I thought I told you to stay in Gardev."

"So I wanted to take the early morning tour of this place," said Gremlin as he crossed his arms, "So sue me."

"What happened to your eye?" asked Mack with a raised eyebrow.

"Well…" said Gremlin nervously.

"Let's just say a soldier down the hallway blasted him and his eye flew out," said Lucca with a smile, carrying her sketchpad under one of her arms and also carrying Gremlin's cracked eye, "Then this pretty gem landed right into my clutches."

"Lucca?" asked Mack, "You stowed away with Gremlin?" Lucca shrugged her shoulders and handed Gremlin his wayward eye.

"I can take care of myself," said Lucca, "I don't really need this purple clown for protection. Besides, I came here just because I wanted to draw you and Aura, Mack." Gremlin sneered at Lucca as he once again got his eye back into its proper place.

"I don't think Glacian will like this," said Aura with concern.

"Yeah," said Mack with a scowl, "I don't take kindly to people hiding in my aircraft and then trying to stalk me and my wife."

"I'll be dealing with you when we get back to Gardev, Gremlin," said Simon gruffly. Gremlin gulped as Aura glanced at Mack.

"Mack, dear," said Aura with a gentle voice, "I really don't mind that Lucca just wanted to draw us, though I agree that she should not have stowed away on our Heavy Carrier."

"Well," said Mack as he looked down at Lucca, "What do you have to say for yourself?" Lucca just smiled at the Guardians as she held up her sketchpad. Mack, Aura and Simon gathered close to view the drawing. Gremlin was rather confused when he heard the Guardians and Simon erupt with laughter.

"Let me see!" said Gremlin as he leapt in front of Lucca to take a close look at her drawing. Gremlin frowned: the drawing was of Gremlin, smiling nervously with his hands in the air with Cyan and his soldiers glaring at him.

"I rather like this one," remarked Simon with an appreciative nod. Alvin looked over Simon's shoulder and laughed as well. Lucca grinned and turned the page on her sketchpad, showing another embarrassing drawing of Gremlin. This time, it was the moment of impact when Cyan's electrical blast hit Gremlin. His eyes were looking in opposite directions, he was smiling like a fool and his tongue was dangling out the left side of his mouth.

"Those are just perfect!" giggled Aura.

"You're telling me!" laughed Mack, "Well, I guess I can take those drawings as a good excuse for you to tag along with us."

"You mean it?" asked Lucca with excitement.

"Yes," said Aura with a bright smile, "Just stay close to us."

"Will do," said Lucca happily as she offered a curtsey, "Your highness." Mack and Aura chuckled warmly. Simon grinned as he looked down at his frowning Sableye.

"I think you've punished yourself enough for now," said Simon, "I'll let this incident slide, but you'd better behave yourself next time and do what you're told." Gremlin sighed.

"If I must…" said a depressed Gremlin.

"That's a good boy," said Simon as he turned his gaze onto Lucca, "I would like a 10' by 6' of each of those drawings in full color, please. They'll look good hanging in the Guardians' home." Gremlin let out a heavy sigh.

"No one can punish you like Simon can," grumbled Gremlin.

"Wait a moment!" said Alvin with shock as he took another look at the pair of drawings, "There are soldiers in the coliseum?!"

"About 100 of them or so," said Lucca calmly, "In fact, they should be arriving in this corridor any moment now." She quickly stuffed the drawings back into her satchel as Mack, Aura, Alvin and K-1 charged up their weapons.

"Any idea what we are dealing with, Lucca?" asked Simon.

"Oh, probably some soldiers from a secret criminal organization that is bent on conquering the world," replied Lucca, "They should be a cakewalk for you guys."

"Or so we hope," said Mack as he, Aura and Alvin raised their rifles and prepared to attack. K-1 started to spin up his mini-plasma Vulcan cannons as Gremlin and Lucca got behind Mack, Aura and Alvin. Soon, loud footsteps could easily be heard echoing in the corridors, coming from the hallways that lead to the massive, underground coliseum. Simon sneered as the soldiers drew ever closer.

"Get ready…" cautioned Mack.

"Wait!" shouted Simon, "You all should stay here. I will take care of our incoming… guests."

"You must be joking," said Mack with disbelief, "You really think you can take on hundreds of soldiers and possibly hundreds more Pokémon on your own?"

"Yes," said Simon with a smile, "Like I said, you just wait here and keep a close eye on Lucca. Peer around the corner if you want to watch. In just a matter of minutes you will no longer doubt my power." Simon calmly walked down the hallway and disappeared around the corner. Out of morbid curiosity, the Guardians and their friends cautiously peered around the corner and down the adjoining hallway with their weapons at the ready.

"I don't think this is such a good idea, Mack," said a concerned Aura, "Simon was never much of a challenge for us."

"I know," said Mack, "You and I have clobbered Simon left, right and center quite a few times. I bet we're either going to be very amazed shortly or we'll all laugh our heads off and have to drag him out of trouble again."

"I can always draw him getting beaten to a pulp, if you want," said Lucca with an evil grin.

"That's just what we need hanging over our fireplace," giggled Aura, "A large, beautiful and colorful portrait of Simon getting his head handed to him." Alvin was still as nervous as ever, but the Gardevoir scientist clearly remembered what had happened while he still went by the name of Dr. Namwen. Simon had always been resourceful, full of surprises and had managed to evade the evil scientist's clutches on many occasions. Aura glanced over her shoulder: this was the first time all day that the young Guardian had seen Alvin smile.

"Lucca?" asked Alvin with a degree of delight that actually startled his companions, "Please be ready to get some great sketches, indeed. I think our brave friend is about to give us a floor show we won't soon forget." Lucca shrugged her shoulders but quickly got her pencils and paper at the ready anyway. Mack and Aura returned their gaze down the large and long hallway, as did K-1, the grinning Alvin, the perplexed Sableye and the very eager Ralts artist. The soldiers drew every closer, but Simon stood fast, unfazed.

"Halt," said Simon forcefully, yet calmly as he extended his right claw, gesturing at the soldiers to stop their hasty charge down the hallway, "Return to whence you came and you will all be spared." The black-armored soldiers did stop in their tracks, but only to glare and sneer at the lone Kabutops.

"Did he just speak to us?" asked one skeptical soldier.

"He really thinks he can take on all of us by himself?" asked another soldier with cruel laughter.

"Quiet in the ranks!" shouted the group's commander as he bravely stepped forward to address the lone, ancient Pokémon, "Who are you? I demand to know!"

"I am Simon," replied the Kabutops fearlessly, "And I shall be your worst nightmare, should you be so foolish as to engage me in combat. You go back to the coliseum right now and tell your superior to leave this place and never return, or else you shall deal with me." The commander smiled at the defiant Kabutops.

"You have some nerve to even consider fighting us," said the commander in a more friendly tone of voice as he crossed his arms, "My superiors are looking for Pokémon with superior powers and abilities. Why don't you join us instead? You certainly appear to be someone who could be an invaluable ally to us."

"I will never serve the forces of evil," said Simon as he raised his claws in an attack stance, "You can be sure of that."

"Is that really your decision?" asked the commander with a grin, "I think you should reconsider my very generous offer."

"Do you take me for a fool?" asked Simon angrily, "I've heard enough. Now draw your weapons and meet me in combat if you are not going to retreat." The commander motioned for his accompanying soldiers to actually lower their weapons.

"I don't desire to fight you," said the commander, "I would rather we were both on the same side. After all, the great Dr. Namwen's files told us plenty about you: your incredible powers, an undying and unwavering sense of honor as well as the rare ability to speak the language of man." Alvin scowled as he overheard the soldier's leader.

"The 'Great' Dr. Namwen?" thought Alvin with shock.

"Alvin, what's going on here?" asked Mack quietly, "How come they know so much about Simon and why would they consider you to be some sort of great leader?" Alvin bowed his head in shame.

"They must have managed to not only acquire all the information on this facility's mainframe, but they must have broken the encryption on all my research data," said Alvin as he clenched his right fist, "We can't allow these men to escape! They may very well have the plans to everything: my barrier-piercing rifles, Project Epsilon and even the Seismic Generator! Not to mention all the blueprints for every one of your weapons and machines that I managed to reverse-engineer, Mack!"

"My patience is wearing thin," warned Simon, "Now step forward so I can annihilate all of you."

"No need to be so forceful," said the commander calmly, "We're going to be leaving in less than twenty minutes anyway." Just then, Simon heard a voice faintly, yet very clearly over the radio built into the commander's helmet.

"Well done, Commander Argus," said a sinister and gruff voice, "This is Lord Cyan speaking. It would appear that your reputation in Cipher is well-deserved. All the needed equipment and raw materials have been sent back to base. You may extract your forces whenever you wish, but be sure to leave no man behind at any cost. That's an order!" Simon's eyes opened wide in shock: he finally realized the commander had just been stalling for time. Simon raised his claws and started to glow with a blinding, white light.

"You managed to fool me," laughed Simon, "So help me: that will be the last mistake you will ever make…" Except for Commander Argus, the soldiers took a few steps back away from Simon in fear as the bright silhouette of the Kabutops grew larger and started to change shape.

"Orders, sir?!" yelled one of the terrified soldiers.

"Fall back and deploy your Pokémon on the double! Don't underestimate him or you will all wind up being killed like the Great Dr. Namwen!" shouted Commander Argus. With that, the soldiers ran down the long hallway in a flurry and threw hundreds of strange, black Pokéballs towards Simon. With a series of rapid, bright flashes, several dark orbs of energy appeared from the black Pokéballs and landed on the floor. In just a matter of moments, the energy balls morphed into hundreds of powerful and evolved Pokémon. Alakazam, Ampharos, Blastoise, Blaziken, Charizard, Crobat, Dragonite, Exploud, Feraligatr, Flygon, Garchomp, Gyarados, Gengar, Golem, Golduck, Infernape, Ludicolo, Machamp, Magmortar, Magnezone, Metagross, Nidoking, Nidoqueen, Rhydon, Pidgeot, Poliwrath, Raichu, Venusaur, Vileplume and Roserade filled the large corridor in a seemingly endless sea of large and powerful creatures. The bright light radiating from Simon soon abated and the soldiers gasped when they laid eyes on their new opponent. Now, a massive Regigigas, thought to have only existed in legend, towered over the startled soldiers and their equally baffled Pokémon. Despite not having a face, the gigantic legendary Pokémon seemed to be smiling as it loudly cracked its knuckles.

"I've seen more of the most elusive and powerful Pokémon than any man ever has in a lifetime," said Simon with a booming voice in his Regigigas form, "And I've defeated them all." The Regigigas just barely could stand up in the tall corridor. Commander Argus was still as fearless as ever. He extended his right arm and pointed at the looming monster at the opposite end of the hallway.

"Attack!!" shouted Commander Argus. With that, the army of Pokémon charged forward.

"This will be the best workout I've had in centuries!" declared Simon with great confidence. Fortunately for Mack, Aura and their companions, the black soldiers were too busy dealing with Simon to notice them as they peeked around the hallway corner to observe the immense indoor battle. They watched as the Regigigas threw one devastating punch after another, sending one attacking enemy Pokémon at a time flying back towards the opposite end of the corridor. Once in a while, Simon would even pick up frightened Pokémon and throw them all the way down the huge hallway and clean into the coliseum in the distance. Despite the horde of the powerful and evolved attackers, Simon was holding his ground with relative ease. Alvin smiled at this sight.

"He hasn't lost his touch," said Alvin with glee. Lucca was feverishly making highly-detailed sketches as the battle continued to unfold.

"I've traveled with Simon for a few decades now and believe me, I've never seen him take on an entire army by himself!" said a pleasantly-surprised Gremlin.

"Send in the Fighting-Types," order Commander Argus quietly through his radio to his comrades. In an instant, the other soldiers had most of their Pokémon fall back in a hasty retreat while a few dozen Blazikens, Infernapes, Poliwraths and Machamps charged and leapt forward towards Simon. They easily landed a flurry of pummeling punches and kicks on the large, slow-moving opponent. Simon grunted from the pain: somehow, Commander Argus knew the weakness of Regigigas, but there was no way the commander could predict his next move. Simon stumbled back, quickly regaining his composure as his body again started to glow with a bright light.

"You really should surrender, Simon!" shouted Commander Argus with laughter, "There is no way you can defeat all of us!" The large, bright silhouette of the huge Regigigas changed shape and quickly shrunk down from a twelve-foot high behemoth, to an odd, roughly six-foot tall form. The blinding light abated once again, revealing a Pokémon that only Commander Argus knew anything about and, for the first time in many years, the steadfast commander was shaken by its very presence.

"Commander!" shouted a nearby soldier, "What is that?!"

"It's a Mewtwo!!" screamed Commander Argus with fear, knowing very well the incredible power he was now up against. After all, a slow-moving giant was not too difficult for the commander to handle, but one of the most destructive Pokémon in existence was another matter. Dr. Namwen's files, recovered from the ruins of Team Rocket headquarters many years ago, described Mewtwo's power in explicit detail. Simon grinned as he held both of his arms forward, gathering and focusing the immense power of the artificial Pokémon. Suddenly, a bright flash lit up the entire hallway and corridor. Commander Argus opened his eyes the moment the blinding light had faded: a thick shower of soft, pink flower petals drifted about the large hallway. The Fighting-Type Pokémon and all the soldiers were completely bewildered.

"What is the meaning of this?" demanded Commander Argus as he tapped his right foot with impatience, "Are you mocking me?"

"Perhaps," said Simon with a mischievous smile. He decided that he may as well have some fun with the underprepared soldiers. Again, Simon focused his power and thrust his arms forward without another word, sending the dozens of helpless, Fighting-Type Pokémon into the air with a powerful wave of psychic energy. The Blazikens, Infernapes, Poliwraths and Machamps dropped to the ground several yards down the corridor, knocked unconscious by the immense telekinetic blast. Commander Argus was through with trying to defeat Simon with cold and well-calculated strategy.

"Destroy him!!" yelled Commander Argus, "Don't hold back!" In an instant, the other soldiers ordered their remaining Pokémon forward in a massive offensive. Simon effortlessly defeated dozens of his opponents with single psychic blasts and Shadow Balls. After a few dozen more Pokémon had dropped to the floor, Simon again changed forms. This time, he transformed into Articuno, with barely enough room to spread his wings and stay airborne. He flapped his mighty wings, sending even more of the attacking Pokémon down the hallway with blasts of wind. All while freezing some of the Grass-Type Pokémon with frigid Ice Beams. The soldiers recalled their fallen and incapacitated allies back to their black Pokéballs as even more Pokémon continued what only looked like another futile offensive. Again, Simon changed forms and reappeared as a much smaller, but still potent Lucario. Cyan had moved back into the massive vault not more than a few hundred yards away from the underground coliseum and the adjoining hallway where the ferocious battle continued to rage on and on.

"Commander?" asked Cyan through Argus's radio, "What is the problem down there?" Commander Argus did not respond and all Cyan heard were explosions, booming thunder as well as waves of energy and various energy beams. The commander had managed to regain his concentration in the heat of battle and soon replied.

"This is Commander Argus," said the commander in his familiar, gruff voice, "What can I do for you, Lord Cyan?"

"Commander," said Cyan coolly and calmly, "Is the Kabutops giving you and your men more trouble than you can manage?"

"I'm afraid so, sir," said Commander Argus as another loud explosion rocked the immediate area.

"It's takes a great man to admit when he's outgunned," said Cyan as he cracked a smile behind his black mask, "I think the time has come to test our newest weapon. Hit that infuriating Kabutops with the Neutralizer rifle at once. Let's see how he enjoys being powerless and utterly defenseless. One of the corporals has the weapon in his possession."

"Copy that, Lord Cyan," said Commander Argus with a smile, "I had completely forgotten about that new toy of ours." The commander turned his head and faced one of the corporals. He had just recalled more of his defeated Pokémon and was carrying a rather large rifle on his back.

"Corporal Anderson, I am going to relieve you of your weapon now," said Commander Argus, "It's time to give it a thorough field test." The corporal saluted his commander and quickly took the large rifle off his back and handed it to Argus with an evil smile on his face the whole time.

"Excellent," said Commander Argus as he positioned the heavy rifle in his arms and took aim at Simon, "Attention all units!! Recall your Pokémon at once and switch to your rifles on the double!!" Simon was actually perplexed to why the soldiers were now calling their strongest Pokémon out of battle and were instead taking up arms against him. Simon again morphed from his current form, a Lugia, back to that of Lucario.

"You are unwise, Commander!" shouted Simon as he cracked his knuckles and got into an attack stance, "You know very well that your Pokémon had a far better chance against me than you and all of your other puny humans combined! Your weapons will be no use against me either!" Commander Argus only smiled as the electronic humming from his weapon got louder and louder. Simon and his companions were unaware of the danger they now faced. Lucca continued to make more sketches, thoroughly enjoying Simon's performance. Alvin, Mack and Aura were equally amazed.

"Kinda gives me an impression of just how powerful members of the Olympus royal family are," said an amazed Mack, "Aura, we must be extremely powerful in order to have defeated Simon at all!" Aura nodded her head in agreement. As Gremlin and company kept their eyes on the battle, K-1 was hastily analyzing the commander's unusual weapon.

"What have we here?" said K-1 as his sharp, electronic eyes quickly gathered information, "It appears that the commander has some sort of energy bazooka in his hands. The energy readings I'm receiving from that weapon are most unusual and are quickly building in strength."

"What do you make of it?" asked Mack quietly.

"I don't know, but it can't be good!" said K-1 with shock as he jumped out from behind the corner and yelled at Simon, desperately trying to get the ancient Pokémon's attention, "Simon, run!! Take cover!!" Just when Simon turned his head to glance over his left shoulder at K-1, Commander Argus pulled the trigger on his large rifle. Instantly, an orb of strange, rainbow-colored energy as large as a softball emerged from the barrel of the weapon with a loud 'Bang!' and a bright flash. Simon had not the time to react as the energy ball collided with his body, knocking him to his knees. Simon cried out in as he felt his strength suddenly vanish and as immense pain coursed through his entire body. He bowed his head as he glowed brightly once again, transforming into the shape of another Pokémon. Simon could no longer control his powers and the radiant glow soon vanished, revealing him as a Kabutops once again. He breathed heavily: he had not felt this weak in many, many years. As Commander Argus gave the order for his troops to open fire, Mack, Aura, Alvin and K-1 charged forward and armed their weapons, setting them for Stun Mode. The soldiers paused with shock for only a moment when the Guardians unfurled their majestic wings. While the soldiers stood still, K-1 swiftly opened his chest compartment and extended two of his mechanical arms. The metallic hands reached under Simon's arms and the robot quickly pulled the weakened Kabutops back behind the Guardians and out of the way. Mack, Aura and Alvin did not hesitate as they opened fire on the enemy troops. They were not about to let their great friend fall into the clutches of the black-armored fiends. With a series of flashes and bangs, the soldiers fell to the ground one after another as the orange bolts of energy knocked them unconscious.

"Shields up!!" shouted Commander Argus. The remaining troopers complied as quickly as possible. They feverishly pressed a few buttons on the right gauntlets of their black body armor as their comrades fell left and right. Only a few moments passed and the remaining soldiers now had barely-visible energy barriers surrounding their bodies. The Guardians and Alvin maintained their fire, even as the energy bolts were deflected harmlessly off the soldiers' energy shields and into the ceiling, the floor and the walls.

"Keep firing!" ordered Mack. As soon as K-1 got Simon to safety and knew that Gremlin and Lucca were safe, he dashed back down the hallway and opened fire. The storm of orange energy bolts continued to rain down on the soldiers, but now they were completely safe from the Gardevoirs' and robot's wrath.

"Switch to lethal rounds and open fire!" order Commander Argus. Within a matter of seconds, the troopers had armed their black rifles and opened fire on the three Gardevoirs and K-1. Bullet casings rained down on the floor as the barrier-piercing and deadly bullets now rained down on the soldiers' attackers. Fortunately, the Gardevoirs and K-1 had powerful energy shields as well and were unharmed as the energy and lead slugs were deflected, leaving large holes in the surrounding walls. Oddly enough, the bullets could only pierce the barriers that Pokémon could generate, but not energy shielding. Now Cyan was greatly concerned when he heard gunfire echoing down the hallways, through the training coliseum and into the massive, heavily-armored vault.

"Commander Argus!" said Cyan loudly into his radio, "What is your situation? Do you require further backup?"

"Lord Cyan!" replied Commander Argus with fear in his voice, "The Guardians of Gardev are here!" Cyan's eyes opened wide.

"Are you certain?" demanded Cyan with shock.

"Affirmative, Lord Cyan!" shouted Commander Argus as his troops and the Gardevoirs and robot continued to trade gunfire, "The white wings and pendants are unmistakable!" Cyan stood still, extremely surprised as his arms dropped limply at his sides.

"This is not good…" thought Cyan with great concern, "We have no means to face the Guardians head on! At least not yet…" Black soldiers flew into the air like bowling pins as Mack and Aura fired powerful beams of explosive light down the corridor. The soldiers' energy shields saved their hides, but the immense power of the Guardians was too much to bear. Though victory seemed imminent for the Guardians of Gardev, Mack quickly realized that his, Aura's and Alvin's energy shields were quickly losing power as the hail of lethal lead from the soldiers continued unabated.

"What are your orders, sir?" shouted Commander Argus over the din of loud bangs and booms. Before Cyan could give the commander his orders, he could barely, but clearly hear one of the Guardians speak.

"Fall back! Our shields can't take much more of this!" said Mack with fear, "A hit from one of those bullets could easily be the end of us!"

"You got it, Mack!" shouted Aura and Alvin in unison.

"Affirmative, Mack!" was K-1's reply. Commander Argus and the remaining soldiers could not have been more relieved when they saw the Guardians of Gardev fall back.

"Maintain your fire and get our fallen comrades to safety!" ordered Commander Argus. The soldiers at the front of the group changed ammo magazines and again resumed their fire, stepping forward so other soldiers could drag the unconscious soldiers into the coliseum and out of danger. Mack, Aura, Alvin and K-1 hid far from the hallway corner as huge holes were torn into the metal wall at the end of the corridor and the hallway corners by the unending flurry of bullets. The three Gardevoirs waited patiently for their shields to regain power and replaced the nearly spent power cells in their rifles. After a minute of waiting in safety, the soldiers had managed to recover their unconscious friends and were in a full retreat into the coliseum. Mack wanted to charge forward, but the gunfire was too heavy and his and his friends' shields had only recovered half of their defensive power. Commander Argus joined his troops and opened fire down the hallway as well just as the last defeated soldier was dragged into the coliseum. He glanced at a corporal on his right.

"How many of the psychic jammers were repaired in this sector?" asked Commander Argus.

"All the jammers in the coliseum, the vault and the adjoining hallway are fully functional, sir!" reported the soldier with a respectful salute.

"Good! Seal the blast door, activate all the psychic jammers and then jam the door!" ordered the commander, "Overload the control panel if you have to: just get the coliseum door sealed!" As soon as the last soldier was in the safety of the coliseum, the corporal closed the thick blast door and activated the psychic jammers, sealing off the huge training area from the rest of the facility. Even the Guardians would not be able to teleport into the coliseum or the vault now.

"The area is sealed, sir!" reported the corporal.

"Fabulous!" said Commander Argus with glee as he radioed Cyan, "Lord Cyan, I recommend we evacuate back to base at once."

"Agreed, Commander," said Cyan, "We got what we came for anyway. Proceed to the vault and I will take us back to base."

"Yes, sir!" said Commander Argus, relieved that he and his men would soon leave the old ruins and the Guardians behind. Meanwhile, Mack cautiously peeked around the shredded corner and looked down the hallway towards the coliseum. The gunfire may have stopped but Mack was still very wary of any more bullets cruising down the hallways. He was met with the shiny face of a blast door and no soldiers at the end of the corridor.

"Let's move!" said Mack to his companions, "It looks like they're retreating into the vault!"

"Great! Maybe we can break in and catch them!" said a hopeful Alvin, "There's no way out of the vault, unless they can squeeze through that hole in the ceiling that is no bigger around than a standard baseball!" Mack, Aura, Alvin and K-1 charged down the long hallway, stopping in front of the thick and heavy door.

"I'll handle this," said K-1 as he stepped up to the control panel of the door. Just then, a soldier on the other side of the door plugged a device about the size of a deck of cards with two metal prongs on one end into an access card slot in the control panel. He pressed a few buttons on the device and jumped back as electricity lanced off the device and around the control panel.

"Yikes!!" shouted a surprised K-1 as he jumped back, just barely avoiding the potent electricity.

"Sheesh!" exclaimed Mack, "What was that all about?"

"I don't know, but someone just injected high voltage into the door control panel!" shouted K-1 as the electricity soon vanished. The robot carefully and slowly approached the door and checked the control panel: the buttons and small view screen had melted plus the complex circuitry had been fused together.

"Maybe we should try teleporting into the vault?" suggested Aura. Mack though about Aura's idea and then focused his power, trying to telekinetically lift a piece of scrap metal off the floor, but nothing happened.

"I think they're using psychic jammers," said Mack with a heavy sigh, "We'll just have to break the door down."

"Perhaps I can assist with that," said Simon, startling the Guardians with his voice and sudden appearance behind them.

"Are you sure?" asked Alvin, "You took a nasty hit back there."

"I'm just fine now," said Simon, "Now, just stand aside and I'll tear through this door like tissue paper." Mack was about to warn Simon, but the stubborn Kabutops charged at the door with his claws out, ready to slash the metal into tinfoil. Instead, his massive claws bounced harmlessly of the door and Simon ended up colliding with the hard metal face first. Simon roared with anger and pain as he staggered back away from the door.

"What in heck is that thing made of?!" demanded Simon as he rubbed his throbbing nose with his left claw.

"I'd like to know why we didn't have to deal with blast doors when we attacked this place," said Aura with curiosity.

"I can answer that," said Alvin with a frown, "I wanted to let you Aura and Mack into the coliseum so I could try and defeat you myself. I'm glad to say I didn't manage to beat you."

"Either way, we need to bulldoze through this irritating barrier and quickly," grumbled Simon. Mack stepped towards the door and pulled an object off his utility belt that, in a way, looked like a fancy silver flashlight.

"Stand back, everyone," warned Mack as he held the shinning object in his right hand like the hilt of a sword. He flipped the switch with his left hand and with a loud "Hiss!" a bright blade of energy, golden in color and roughly one meter in length, came forth from the device. A strange-sounding hum filled the otherwise quiet corridor.

"What do you have there?" asked a curious Simon, "It looks like something I once saw in a movie."

"It's a Plasma Saber," answered Mack, "The blade is made up of superheated gas with a force field that helps keep its energy in the desired shape and shields the user from the intense heat. This plasma saber has a surface temperature of about 500,000 degrees: plenty to melt through just about any metal." Mack plunged the energy blade into the door, cutting around the edges with ease.

"And yes," said Mack with a nervous smile, "I did get the idea from a movie." Before long, Mack had cut all the way around the heavy metal door. The cuts in the door were still red hot.

"Now try, Simon," said Mack as he stood back.

"My pleasure," said Simon with a smile. With a loud shout, Simon again charged at the door, but this time, he knocked the large chunk of metal clean out of the doorway. The blast door itself rocketed to the opposite side of the coliseum, landing with a loud and echoing "Klang!" Simon dusted himself off and stretched as the Guardians and Alvin made their way to the other side of the coliseum. Much to Mack and his friends' relief, the other blast door had not been deployed, so they charged down the last of the long hallways and came to a stop at the vault. Mack sneered and lowered his weapon: the vault was practically empty and somehow, all the soldiers had disappeared without a trace.

"Where… where did they go?!" shouted Alvin, "They can't have escaped so easily! It's impossible!" Mack turned his attention to a large machine at the back, left corner of the vault. It was as big as an average washing machine with a control panel, covered with buttons and knobs.

"It's okay, Alvin," said Aura with determination, "I don't know how, but we'll find those people and stop them!"

"That may only sound easy," said Simon, "Now they have Alvin's research at their disposal. Judging by what we encountered today, I would suspect that defeating them will be by no means an easy task." Lucca walked into the vault, overhearing the conversation. She appeared to be sad.

"You mean…" said Lucca in a depressed tone of voice, "Those evil men might return?"

"I hate to admit it, but I don't think we've seen the last of them," said Simon, crossing his claws in front of his chest.

"Either way, I think we may all be in grave danger nonetheless. Watch this," said Mack as he pressed a large, red button on the large machine. At that very moment, Mack, Aura, Alvin and even Simon noticed that their psychic powers were no longer being restrained. The static on their radios vanished in an instant, replaced by a clean signal.

"Just as I thought," said Mack, "They managed to reverse-engineer my Jamming Array." Suddenly, for the first time in many hours, Central's voice could be heard on the group's radios.

"Mack? Do you hear me? Are you there?" asked Central. Her voice was crystal clear and one of the sweetest things Mack and his friends had heard all day.

"I hear you loud and clear, Central," replied Mack happily, "How are things at the surface?"

"To be honest, I could not be any happier at this moment," said Central cheerfully, "I don't know what you did, but I suddenly started to get readings from the ruins on the S-5's sensors not more than a few seconds ago! Except for you and the rest of our friends, the facility is completely devoid of life."

"That wasn't the case less than ten minutes ago," said Alvin.

"Indeed," said Mack, "Central? Did you see anyone escape from the facility on foot or in vehicles or aircraft? We thought we had cut off a small army down here but they all vanished without a trace." For several seconds, the radio was silent.

"Say that again, please," said Central, "what did you find?"

"We found about 100 heavily armed and armored soldiers deep in the facility," reported Aura, "They were also carrying a full compliment of strong Pokémon. Judging by the empty rooms and missing metal plates throughout the facility, we suspect those people were here for some sort of salvage operation."

"So I see," said Central with a heavy sigh, "I'm afraid mine and the S-5's sensors detected no anomalies."

"I think I know what happened," said Simon. The room became quiet and the Kabutops now had everyone's attention.

"Please elaborate," asked Central politely.

"I shall," replied Simon, "You see, I did manage to sense something while I was in the heat of battle. I think I managed to locate those soldiers' high commander back here in the vault, but there was something very odd about him. I could sense unusually strong power in him, but nothing else."

"What are you getting at, Simon?" asked Lucca.

"I think our friends were teleported out of here by a very powerful being," suggested Simon, "Whoever it was, it could not have been human. I've never seen a human able to teleport more than a handful of people at once."

"Hey there!" said Eric's voice over Mack's radio, "Are we actually able to communicate or am I just hearing voices?"

"You're just going crazy, dear brother," said a grinning Alvin.

"I knew it! Cecil! The radios are working again!" said Eric with sheer delight and relief.

"Good to hear from you, Guardians," said Cecil happily, "I was starting to get worried about you."

"Save some worrying for us!" laughed Eric, "How are we going to get out of this base, better still, does anyone have any idea on how we should destroy this place?" Alvin stood quietly for a few moments, staring at the floor. Soon, Alvin looked up and faced Mack and Aura with a smile on his face.

"I have an idea," said Alvin with a twinkle in his eye. Meanwhile, somewhere in the world, Commander Argus and Lord Cyan were being debriefed in a large, dimly-lit room. A shadowed figure was sitting on a golden throne with all his features completely hidden by the darkness.

"You have all done very well," said a deep, ominous voice, "No one could have predicted that the Guardians of Gardev would pay a visit to those ruins. You completed all your objectives without fail and acquired all the needed supplies and materials. It would appear that hiring Commander Argus was a great move on your part, Lord Cyan."

"Thank you, your Excellency," said Cyan. Both he and Commander Argus were on their knees and gazing at the floor out of respect for their great leader.

"Commander Argus, you have proven yourself more than capable as a leader and a man of superior strategy," said the shadowed man, "On top of that, you are not arrogant and do not overestimate your opponents. I would expect nothing less from a former leader in Cipher. Therefore, you shall be promoted to Grand Commander and shall be a leader of the first squadron of the shadow army."

"Thank you, sir!" said Commander Argus with sheer delight, "Your Highness is too kind."

"You've earned it," said the voice as the shadowed man seemed to turn his gaze upon Cyan, "Lord Cyan, please lead Grand Commander Argus to the Golden Room. His training shall begin in seven days and I want you to see to his training personally. Do I make myself clear?"

"As you wish, my liege," said Cyan respectfully.

"Excellent…" said the voice, "You may both arise and leave. As for you, Grand Commander, I'm expecting great things from you and I know you will not fail me. I would not be afraid either for you are about to taste the power that only Cyan and a few of the highest leaders have."

"I shall do what his majesty wishes," said Argus as he and Cyan stood up and slowly left the dark throne room. Outside the throne room there were brightly lit hallways made out of metal, just like the Cipher facilities had once been made of. Other soldiers in black armor were standing guard at the doorways down the long corridor. Argus looked up at Cyan as they slowly walked down the hallway.

"So…" said Argus quietly, "What exactly is the Golden Room his highness spoke of?" Cyan remained quiet for a few moments.

"The Golden Room is a special place that only the finest members of our organization ever get to visit, but once the great Dr. Namwen's research has been properly studied, all members of our armies shall be given great power beyond anything ever though imaginable," explained Cyan, "My brother would have been so proud of me and my new employers. That is for certain." Argus still seemed very hesitant.

"But, I heard that everyone who goes to the Golden Room has to wear a mask and a heavy cloak at all times whenever other people are around and they can never be out in public again," said a very uneasy Argus.

"Come with me," said Cyan as he lead Argus into a small office on the left side of the corridor, "Guards, leave us." A pair of soldiers just inside the doorway nodded and promptly departed. Cyan closed and locked the door and then sealed the blinds on the hallway window.

"Dare I ask what you're doing?" asked Argus with fear. Cyan spoke again, but this time, he actually sounded pleasant and cheerful as opposed to his usual, cold personality.

"You have nothing to fear!" said Cyan with happy tone of voice, "What you are about to receive is something you'll surely treasure for the rest of your life!"

"More like bearing a curse for the rest of my life," said Argus, "I don't want to go through with this…"

"Bah!" laughed Cyan as he brought his hands up to his face and unclipped the straps on his mask, "Gaze upon my face and your fears will be gone for good. I already foresaw what would happen." Before Argus could utter another word, Cyan removed his mask. Argus gasped as he laid eyes on Cyan's new face. Cyan took things a step further as he removed his cloak, letting the heavy, thick black fabric fall to the floor.

"This… this is what I'll receive?!" said Argus with delight, "I'll do it!" Cyan quickly put his thick coverings and mask back in their proper places.

"I knew you'd say that," chuckled Cyan, "In just a few more years, all our soldiers will be able to show who we are with pride. Yes, Argus! Soon, Team Shadow will no longer need to depend on Pokémon ever again…"


	26. Section 26

The Village Guardians

**-81-**

Mack, Aura, Eric, Cecil, Simon, Gremlin, Lucca and K-1 had gathered with Alvin, deep in one of the largest rooms in the entire building. Alvin's idea to level the abandoned facility caught everyone by surprise, even the Guardians did not know what to expect. The Gardevoir scientist proudly pointed up at the massive Seismic Generator and smiled.

"All we have to do is have this machine generate a powerful, but localized earthquake right under these ruins," explained Alvin, "The soft dirt and sand of this desert go down for hundreds of yards before you hit bedrock. The bottom of the desert should be a perfect final resting place for these dilapidated ruins."

"About how far under the sand do you think this building will be?" asked Simon, leaning against one of the walls in the huge, brightly-lit room. Alvin flashed Simon a grin.

"I predict that much of the facility will actually collapse upon itself, even the reinforced coliseum was not designed to withstand a major quake," answered Alvin, "I estimate that the highest, surviving part of this facility will be buried under roughly one hundred yards of sand and dirt."

"That should do the trick," remarked Cecil with a nod, "Why, the people in the Gardev region even ended their search for coal and oil in these parts decades ago after they found nothing. That means no one will probably ever dig up these ruins again, at least not for many years."

"It's a good idea, but I think there are some considerable problems that must be dealt with," cautioned K-1. Mack nodded at his robotic companion.

"Indeed, K-1," said Mack, "Unleashing an earthquake under these ruins does sound like an excellent method for covering them up, but I doubt the Seismic Generator itself could survive in the crumbling ruins for long enough to keep the earthquake focused and localized during the entire procedure. After all, what would happen if this gargantuan machine is activated and then severely damaged during one of its earthquakes?"

"You brought up a good point," said Alvin, glancing up at the monstrous, silver machine, "My calculations did indicate that a severe catastrophe could be the end result if the machine was damaged or interrupted by other means while in the middle of generating an earthquake." Eric could not help but notice that this version of the Seismic Generator was substantially smaller than the one he had erected in the Mt. Terror base. Eric's original earthquake machine was as big as the Pokémon center in Viridian city, while this machine looked like it would fit comfortably in the cargo hold of Mack's S-5 Heavy Carrier.

"Why don't we just take this thing with us?" suggested Eric. Everyone in the room stared at Eric with their eyes wide open.

"That… that could be accomplished," said Mack, "Aura and I could teleport this machine into the S-5's cargo bay."

"Exactly!" said Eric with delight, "And then we could just activate the Seismic Generator while in the air and level this oversized pile of scrap metal once and for all!"

"Are you hearing this, Central?" asked K-1 through his built-in radio, "Could the machine be properly powered while in the S-5?"

"Affirmative, but we would have to set the S-5's power generators in Overdrive mode to generate the required electrical energy," replied Central, "However, the generators cannot stay in overdrive for long as they may melt from the excessive heat. The thermal converters would also be reduced to slag."

"What do you think we should do, Mack?" asked Aura.

"We'll do as Dr. Alvin suggests," replied Mack with confidence, "The procedure is risky, but if all of us work together manning the Seismic Generator, the S-5 and keep a good eye on the status of the S-5's power systems, we should be able to activate this earthquake machine while we're safe on the air. I'm convinced this maneuver can be pulled off and with great success."

"Then the first step is to teleport this machine into the S-5," said K-1 matter-of-factly. Mack glanced at Aura and she nodded her head in reply to an unspoken question. The other Pokémon and K-1 stepped back as the Guardians eyes and pendants began to shine with bright light. Soon, a blue and purple-colored aura surrounded the large machine, growing brighter and brighter by the second. Then, in an instant, the machine disappeared from the room in a bright flash. Mack and Aura's pendants quickly stopped glowing as they each took a deep breath.

"I think that machine was the largest object I've ever had to teleport using my own power," said Mack with amazement, "That was surprisingly… easy."

"You also had my help," said Aura with a smile, "Then again, being a Gardevoir and one of the Guardians of Gardev never hurts either, huh?" Mack laughed as he walked up to his mate and tightly put his arms around her. They held each other close and kissed passionately for many minutes.

"Hey, Mack, Aura," said Alvin with a grin, "We're leaving without you two." The Guardians chuckled warmly and blushed as they released each other from their embrace.

"Central, can you confirm that the Seismic Generator has been secured in the cargo bay?" asked K-1.

"Yes," was Central's reply, "The machine is now in the cargo bay. I'll get it strapped down and hooked up to the S-5's power grid. In the meantime, you should all evacuate the ruins and meet me on the surface. Xavier has just flown in and I had to tell him to return to Gardev on his own."

"There wasn't enough room for him in the S-5?" asked Mack.

"That is correct," answered Central, "Not unless he could become roughly one inch thick and be smashed between the machine as well as the cargo bay doors."

"It just barely fit," said an amazed Mack, "That's great!"

"Xavier will meet up with us back in Gardev," said Central, "In the meantime, let's get this show on the road."

"Roger that," said Mack as he walked alongside Aura and put his left arm around her, "We'll be up in about ten minutes." Just then, Lucca quickly put the finishing touches on her last sketch of the day. She proudly showed it to the Guardians: the picture was of Mack as Aura, locked together in a passionate embrace with their majestic wings unfurled. Aura giggled with happiness.

"This is going in our room, right above the fireplace," said Aura. Lucca grinned at Aura.

"I have to enlarge the drawing and paint it first," said Lucca with a mischievous smile, "That is, after I finish the wedding portraits for the Olympus Royal family. Aura, yours and Mack's painting will be the first one finished."

"Thank you so much, Lucca!" said Aura with delight.

"Anything for a prince and princess of Olympus," said Lucca with a polite bow towards Mack and Aura. By the time Mack, Aura and their friends had gotten back on the ground's surface, the sun was already setting. This had been one of the longest and most nerve-racking days Mack and Aura could remember since they had been married. Mack quickly stowed the rifles, utility belts and other equipment as Central and K-1 finished hooking the Seismic Generator up to the high voltage power cables in the S-5. Aura closed the cargo bay doors the moment Central and K-1 had finished with their welding.

"That should do the trick," said Central.

"Thank you for the excellent work, as usual," said Mack with a friendly smile, "Now, have you finished the calculations for the power systems?" Central nodded her head in reply.

"K-1 and I estimate a timeframe of no more than fifty seconds before the generators and thermal converters start to suffer any damage. After 75 seconds, the power systems will be running at 50 capacity due to severe damage," warned Central solemnly, "After 85 seconds, the power systems will be destroyed and we will crash into the desert below."

"Hopefully we won't have to destroy the S-5 and ourselves in order to wipe those ruins off the face of the earth," said K-1.

"You don't have to worry," said Alvin with a calm tone of voice, "Just get us into the air and I'll take over from there."

"Will do," said Mack as he and Aura climbed up a set of stairs at the back of the large cargo bay hand-in-hand and towards the cockpit up above and at the front of the large vehicle. Cecil, Andre and Simon followed after the Guardians while Central and K-1 stayed behind to help Eric and Alvin.

"I'm actually glad we decided to bring this device with us instead of destroying it," said Eric with glee, "There is so much good we could do with a machine like this."

"I know the feeling," said Alvin with a sigh of relief, "With the press of a button, we could actually stop real earthquakes from causing serious damage and loss of life."

"A pity this machine can also be used as a dastardly weapon," said K-1 with a frown as he checked the machine's inner workings for damage or other faults.

"Agreed," said Central, "I find it strange that great power can always be used for the preservation of life or for the utter annihilation of it." Alvin nodded his head as he started pressing keys and pushing buttons on the Seismic Generator's main control panel. Soon, the yellow, pulsing lights on the cylinder-shaped machine were lit as a low hum started to fill the room, becoming louder with each passing second. Just then, the massive S-5 Heavy Cargo Carrier lurched as it lifted off into the sky. Lucca and Gremlin were sitting on the cold, metal floor of the cargo bay, watching closely as the machine began to power up. As usual, Lucca was smiling and humming to herself, making one sketch after another.

"Power levels are at 45," reported Alvin.

"I am getting the same readings," reported Central as she turned on the intercom in the cargo bay, "Mack, do you hear me up there?" There was static and a slight pause over the intercom.

"I read you," replied Mack, "We are at 1,000 feet and awaiting instructions." Mack and Aura were piloting the massive S-5, keeping it steady as it hovered over the desert sands.

"Stand by to switch the generators to Overdrive Mode," said Central as the humming from the quake machine became increasingly louder. Gremlin was covering his ears while Lucca continued to work on her drawings.

"Roger that," said Mack.

"I'm at 55," said Alvin, "It's now or never."

"Switch all power systems to overdrive," ordered Central. With that, Mack feverishly entered a secret access code on the control panel in front of him. After a few faint electronic clicks and beeps could be heard, a glass panel over a red switch slid out of the way.

"Overdrive activated," said Mack as he threw the switch, "T minus 55 seconds to power failure." Alvin threw a few levers on the Seismic Generator's control panel. The machine began to hum even louder while the yellow light panels shone brighter.

"I must say, Mack!" shouted Alvin, "You built the S-5 very well! I'm already at 100 here: Starting earthquake sequence!"

"Got it!" yelled Mack over the intercom, "You have 48 seconds!" The loud noise from the quake machine was now being heard very clearly in the cockpit. Mack quickly repositioned the S-5 so everyone could get a better view of the ruins. Night had fallen over the desert, but the bright moonlight made the facility still quite easy to see. Gremlin and Lucca rushed to one of the cargo bay windows to watch the action as Alvin threw a large, black lever on the Seismic Generator.

"Goodbye and good riddance!" shouted Alvin as he, Eric, Central and K-1 rushed over to the window. They saw dust getting kicked up as the ground beneath the large building started to shake violently. Mack was glad there was nobody living in the area for at least 40 miles in any direction for the sound of the highly-controlled, powerful earthquake, twisting steel and crumbling concrete was incredibly loud, even though the S-5 was over a mile away from the ruins.

"35 seconds!" warned Mack. Everyone in the S-5 only paused for a moment to watch and smile as the ruins crumbled to the ground within a few short seconds. Alvin quickly ran back over the control panel, pulling the kill switch. In an instant, the massive earthquake came to an abrupt end. Mack quickly turned off the overdrive mode of the power generators as the dust started to settle from the ruins. All that remained above ground were small hills of sand and dirt. Mack then flew the S-5 over the facility: not a trace remained of the foreboding ruins.

"I detect metal at a depth of 100 yards," reported Central.

"The sensors are all working properly," said K-1 with a smile, "Just incase you were going to ask about any malfunctions." Alvin jumped for joy.

"Then that means my calculations were correct!" shouted Alvin with great joy and relief, "And those horrid ruins are gone for good!" Simon nodded his head, but he was still very solemn.

"Nevertheless, we will have to be very vigilant in the coming days or even the coming years," warned Simon, "I don't think we've seen the last of those men. I think it's only a matter of time before they will make their presence know again." Soon, the group of Pokémon and robots were back on their way to the village of Gardev. The S-5 moved through the night skies almost silently as Mack switched the view on a small view screen on his control panel to a camera in the cargo bay. He frowned at the Seismic Generator. In a way, he was glad that the powerful machine was preserved and would fit quite comfortably in the launch bay of the underground lab. On the other hand, the Seismic Generator reminded Mack of the evil minds who were back on the scene and surely were plotting schemes that would make the atrocities of Cipher seem like heaven in comparison. Then, there was another problem.

"I know you're out there somewhere, Shadow Mack, biding your time and scheming…" said Mack quietly to himself, "Only one of us is going to leave this dimension alive… I promise…"

**-82-**

The time was 8:35 PM on the clear and tranquil Friday night when the massive S-5 finally touched down in the launch bay of Mack and Aura's secret underground laboratory. In only a matter of minutes, the Seismic Generator was unloaded from the Heavy Carrier, strapped to the hard, metallic floor of the massive launch bay and was then covered with a large, heavy blue tarp. All had seemed normal when Eric, Alvin, Cecil, Andre, Lucca, Simon, Gremlin, Lucca and David said their goodbyes to K-1 and Central before they left the lab and headed up towards Warren's basement. After making sure the weapons and equipment were stowed away and everything was going well, Mack and Aura said goodnight to their robotic friends, boarded the elevator and were on their way up to the basement as well.

"Well?" asked Aura with a yawn, "Shall we go to bed now?" Mack smiled at his beautiful mate.

"We will after we check on something," said Mack as he lead Aura up the basement stairs, "When we landed, I noticed the kitchen lights at the church were left on."

"I wonder what's going on over there?" asked Aura as she and Mack walked through the hallways of the mansion and soon, they were on their way to the church. However, the Guardians were being watched closely. Alexander carefully peered out the blinds of one of the large, front windows of the mansion. He closed the blinds and glanced at his lovely wife, Aurora.

"Is everything set?" asked Alexander with glee. Aurora giggled and smiled at her husband.

"I just led Eric, Alvin, Cecil, Andre and David to the back rooms," said Aurora with delight, "Plus, everything is laid out for the Guardians in their bedroom. We'll have to lead them there as soon as they get back." Alexander chuckled warmly.

"Have we got a surprise for them!" said Alexander with excitement as he embraced his wife. Little time had passed when Mack and Aura arrived at the church and entered through one of the back doors into the dark cafeteria. The tables, chairs and the floor were sparkling clean with not a trace to tell of the celebration that had taken place just days ago. Aura couldn't help but think back when she and Mack were married. Then, there were the joyful days when Fredrick and Sakura had been married and then, just yesterday, Enrique and Anna had been joined together as well. The Guardians stopped in their tracks when they heard a loud belch from the kitchen.

"What was that?" asked Aura. Mack frowned as he held out his right hand and started to focus a ball of light in it.

"I think we may have a rodent infestation…" said Mack quietly. He let go of Aura's hand and silently walked up to the kitchen door. In an instant, Mack threw open the double-jointed door, ready to blast whatever was intruding in the kitchen with a blast of destructive light. Instead, he allowed the energy to dissipate and vanish when he laid his eyes on the intruder.

"Oh, my!" laughed Aura as she walked into the kitchen behind he mate, "Looks like there was a rodent infestation!"

"William?" asked a bewildered Mack, "What happened in here?" William was smiling and lying against a cupboard with his belly bloated. There were cake crumbs and frosting all through the Pikachu's normally yellow fur as well as all over the surrounding floor around William. William let out a loud hiccup as he sluggishly opened his eyes. The fat Pikachu squeaked lazily as he slowly stood up on his feet.

"Oh…" said William with a content smile, "I just had the time… of my life…" William flopped onto his face. Aura, concerned for William, carefully took him up in her arms.

"Are you okay, little cutie?" asked Aura softly.

"…I'll…" stammered William, "I'll be alright… in the morning…"

"He's just fine," said Mack with a grin, "It looks like our little friend decided to help himself to what was left of Enrique and Anna's wedding cake."

"Best… day… ever…" said William with a loud yawn. Aura laughed to herself as she set the Pikachu in one of the kitchen sinks. With a sprayer, some warm water, soap and in about ten minutes, Aura managed to get William cleaned up. He was sound asleep as Aura and Mack worked together to get William dried off with a few kitchen towels.

"Well, what do you think happened?" asked Mack.

"I remember hearing something about how Anna was going to reward William for what she put him through yesterday," said Aura with a smile as she held William in her arms, "I think this was our little friend's reward."

"That sure takes the cake, doesn't it?" asked Mack with a grin. Aura giggled and stroked William's swollen belly a few times.

"Ooooh…" moaned William, "What happened to me…?"

"He's waking up?" asked a bewildered Aura.

"Why would I be asleep at this hour on a Friday night?" asked William with a loud yawn, "Man… what happened to me?"

"I think a wedding cake got the best of you," chuckled Mack.

"Is that all?" asked William with embarrassment, "Oh. I forgot all about that…"

"Well, let's get you home and in bed," said Aura softly.

"But I'm not tired!" complained William. Despite the Pikachu's protests, Mack and Aura left the church with William and were soon back at the mansion. The Guardians were pleasantly surprised when Alexander and Aurora greeted them once they had entered through the front door.

"Welcome back, Mack and Aura!" said Alexander with delight.

"Yes," said a happy Aurora, "I'm so glad to see you and your friends all back home, safe and sound."

"After all that happened today, I'm thankful and quite amazed that we're unharmed, too," said Mack with a yawn. Alexander and Aurora's happy smiles were replaced in an instant with looks of bewilderment when they laid eyes on William.

"What happened to him?" asked a confused Alexander, taking a good, long look at the stout Pikachu.

"Not much," said William with a smile, "Enrique and Anna just let me have the rest of their wedding cake."

"You ate it all in one day?!" exclaimed Alexander.

"That he did," said Aura with a smirk. Aurora giggled to herself and glanced up at Alexander. The Gardevoir nodded his head and smiled in reply to an unspoken request.

"Now then," said Alexander with a pleasant tone of voice, "My wife and I have a little surprise for both of you."

"Please forgive me," said Mack, yawning again, "I don't meant to sound rude, but can't this wait until tomorrow?"

"Oh, no," said Aurora cheerfully, "This can't wait for long. We left some presents in your bedroom. How about we show them to you?" Mack glanced at Aura: she just smiled at him.

"Let's go see what they got for us," said Aura sweetly. Mack shrugged his shoulders and smiled at his lovely wife.

"Well, a wise husband always puts his wife first," said Mack tenderly as he held Aura's right hand, "Okay, Alexander, Aurora: Please lead the way." The two Gardevoirs smiled as they turned around and led the Guardians through the mansion.

"Hey," said Mack, "How about we take a shortcut through the ballroom?" Alexander and Aurora glanced at each other nervously, doing their best to hide their fear and uneasiness.

"We…" said Alexander nervously, "We need to stay out of the ballroom for now. Warren is having it deep cleaned."

"At this hour?" said Mack with a raised eyebrow, "Who would Warren hire to polish and deep clean the wooden floors around here after 9 o' clock?" Aurora giggled nervously.

"Paul is quite the handyman," replied Aurora.

"Good point," said Mack, "After all, Paul did help Aura and I get the kitchen fixed up after William and Gremlin blew it up."

"I wish you would all quit bringing that up," griped William. Now that Mack and Aura suspected nothing, Alexander and Aurora carefully lead the Guardians down the long hallways and eventually upstairs. The leisurely walk came to end right outside the Guardians' bedroom.

"Okay," said Alexander, clapping his hands once, "Now, I want both of you to please close your eyes for a minute."

"This is a surprise," said Aurora with excitement. Aura smiled and closed her eyes. Mack was skeptical, but he still did as his in-laws had politely asked. The Guardians heard their bedroom door slowly creak open.

"Now, we'll guide you into your room," said Alexander as he gently held Mack's hands and lead him into the room. Aurora did the same for Aura and they had the Guardians, who still had their eyes closed, stop in just the right spot.

"Okay…" said Alexander as he and his wife let go of the Guardians' hands, "Look now." Mack hesitated, especially after he heard Aura gasp and then yell with sheer delight.

"This can't be good…" thought Mack as he finally opened his eyes. The male Guardian looked on with disbelief at his father and mother-in-law's gifts: a pair of elaborate ball gowns were laying spread out over the bed.

"They're so beautiful! Which one is mine?" asked Aura happily.

"Yours is the sky-blue one," replied a smiling Aurora.

"The dark green dress is for you, Mack," said Alexander with a friendly smile. Mack had only just gotten used to wearing his wedding dress, but now he was going to have to don a ball gown as well? The two ball gowns were almost identical: each dress had long sleeves, a very full, flowing skirt, layer upon layer of soft petticoats under the skirt, decorative embroidery, stand up collars, a large bow with trailing ribbons on the back of the dress just above the waist and laces on the back to close the bodice. Aura's dress; however, also had puffed sleeves, pale blue petticoats under the skirt, plus the fabric sparkled and shimmered brightly in the light while Mack's dress only shimmered and had light green petticoats for added lift.

"Is something wrong, Mack?" asked a perplexed Aurora while her daughter gleefully wrapped her arms around her new dress, holding it tightly against her body and feeling the soft fabric.

"Aura said that green was your favorite color," said a shocked Alexander with a frown, "Do you not like it?" Mack looked up at Alexander as if his father-in-law had gone completely bonkers.

"Dad?" asked Mack with fear; "Is there something I should know here?" Alexander chuckled warmly.

"I really don't understand why you are so afraid of the clothing we Gardevoirs think is perfectly normal," said Alexander.

"I think it's just culture shock," giggled Aura.

"How can I put this?" said Alexander as he picked the extravagant dress of the bed and tenderly handed it to Mack, "Just think of it as the gown you normally wear when you dance with Aura in the ballroom almost every night here in the mansion, except this dress is much more extravagant, especially for the party that's going to start in about ten minutes."

"A party?" asked a very nervous Mack, holding his new dress up at an arms length, "What kind of party?"

"A very nice, relaxing and fun party," said Aurora, trying to reassure her son-in-law, "This is going to be the first weekly meeting of a group my husband and I started many years ago."

"That's right, my dear," said Alexander happily, "From now on, every Friday night, the Ballroom Club is going to meet here at Warren's mansion. Of course, our friendly mayor loved the idea."

"So, what happens at this… Ballroom Club?" asked Mack nervously.

"Simple," replied Aurora with delight, "The Ballroom Club is all about married Gardevoirs and Gallades spending a night together just dancing, enjoying some fine food and having fun with their mates. Unmarried Gardevoirs and Gallades also come here for a nice date as well."

"Plus," said Alexander, "Every Gardevoir and Gallade will be wearing beautiful and traditional garb for the evening." Mack let out a heavy sigh.

"Why do so many Gardevoir traditions have to involve dresses?" grumbled Mack as he glared at his new, shimmering green gown.

"You wear one every day Mack," giggled Aura, "It doesn't seem to bother you at all."

"Good point…" said Mack with another sigh, "I guess as long as I don't draw a lot of stares or get laughed at, I should be fine."

"Well, if you'll please excuse us, Aurora and I need to get dressed for the evening. We hope to see you in the ballroom soon, especially since Agatha was so kind as to cater the banquet for us," said Alexander.

"This is just like old times," said Aurora with a blissful sigh as Alexander put his left arm around her, "Having a wonderful, romantic night of fine food and graceful dancing…"

"I'll come with you guys," said William as he leapt out of Aura's arms and onto the floor.

"That's fine, William," said Aura happily, "We'll be down soon."

"Very good," said a happy Alexander as he led his delighted wife out of the room, "See you then." As soon as Alexander, Aurora and William had left the room and closed the door, Aura started to get undressed, eager to get into her new, fluffy gown.

"Just think Mack," said Aura, deep in bliss, "Everyone is going to see all those dance moves we learned over the last few years." Mack kept his eyes glued on his green ball gown. He glanced at the bed and saw a pair of green, shimmering slippers that completed the ensemble. Aura had light blue slippers to go with her dress. It did not take long until Aura had slipped on her new dress and its matching shoes.

"Come on, honey!" giggle Aura, "Time for you to get 'Dressed' too!" Mack sighed heavily, yet again.

"That's not funny, Aura," said Mack with a scowl. Nonetheless, he started to get undressed; bracing himself for what could very well be a very long night. Soon, the time was 9:30 and several dozen Gardevoirs and their mates had arrived at the mansion in stunning, colorful dresses. They waited eagerly in the large ballroom for the party to begin. At the back of the ballroom and in front of the large windows that faced the mountains, stood all the members of the royal family, minus the Guardians. Anna could not have been more delighted.

"I just love it!" said Anna with sheer delight, twirling in her sparkling pink dress with pale pink petticoats under her skirt, "It's so soft and fluffy! Best of all, it's pink!"

"I'm well aware of your favorite color," giggled Angel in her sparkling black ball gown, "After all, who do you think spent the last several months making all the gowns for this event?" Ramirez smiled as he stood next to Angel with an arm wrapped around her, wearing a dark green ball gown. Around the ballroom, it was very obvious that all the dresses had, in a way, been color coded: bright colors and shimmering or sparkling dresses for the females with darker, plain dresses for most of the males. All female Gardevoirs were also wearing gold or silver bracelets, anklets, earrings and necklaces with gemstones to match the colors of their dresses. The guests were all talking amongst themselves, waiting for when the Guardians and some other special guests would arrive.

"That reminds me," said Angel, "Ramirez, would you excuse me for a moment? I need to go check on some of our guests."

"Go right ahead," said Ramirez. Angel smiled and walked through the group of Gardevoirs and through the double doors on the opposite side of the ballroom. The master Gardevoir seamstress walked through the mansion corridors, upstairs to one of the unused bedrooms and gently knocked on the door.

"May I come in?" asked Angel sweetly. She pressed her right ear against the door just in time to hear a heavy sigh.

"You can come in," said a familiar and very nervous voice. Angel opened the bedroom door and giggled with glee.

"You all look so handsome!" said a delighted Angel.

"I really don't think so," said Eric with a look of fear on his face. Alvin, Eric, Cecil, Andre and David knew they were in deep, deep trouble as they stood in a line, wearing identical, shimmering, dark blue ball gowns.

"The ladies are going to think you all look downright fabulous!" giggled Angel with excitement. The ball-gown wearing Gardevoirs and Mewtwo said not a word for several awkward moments.

"Someone please remind me how we got tricked into this?" asked a very nervous and very scared Andre, "This is like one of my worst nightmares come true!"

"You think you've got it bad?" snorted David, "Whoever heard of a Mewtwo in a dress?! Sheesh!"

"Now, now, boys," said Angel with sinister smile, "Remember: Glacian ordered all of you to don the traditional ballroom dancing attire and to join the rest of us in the Ballroom Club for a night of dancing and fun. After all, you are all citizens of Olympus and must obey the king's orders."

"I should have stayed home and become a psychiatrist instead of joining Cipher!" complained Andre, "Then none of this would have happened and I wouldn't have been ordered to cross-dress!"

"Would you rather have a pink dress instead?" snapped Angel. Andre became quiet in an instant.

"It could be worse, Andre," said Eric with a sigh.

"How?" demanded a sullen Andre.

"We could have been ordered to learn ballet," replied Eric.

"I'll take tights over this dress any day!" griped Andre.

"Is that so?" asked Angel deviously, "Do you know what the traditional attire is for Kirlia and Gardevoir ballet dancers?"

"I don't think I want to know," said Andre, but Angel ignored him and walked up to him. They stood eye to eye.

"Kirlias and Gardevoirs tend to dance the same way, so they dress the same way," said Angel, grinning at the nervous Gardevoir, "It all starts with a pair of white, satin ballet slippers…" Andre was shaking with fear.

"You can stop now!" said an increasingly-terrified Andre. Angel said nothing as she wrapped her arms around Andre.

"And then…" said Angel in a sinister tone as she spoke in Andre's right ear, "You have a white dress with a very full skirt, cut several inches above the ankles so your cute slippers can be seen easily. Your dress is covered with lovely embroidered deigns…" Despite their predicament, Eric, Alvin, Cecil and David could hardly contain their laughter as Andre shook and sweated profusely with mounting terror.

"Let… me… let me go! You're gonna give me nightmares!" screamed Andre. He tried to run for it, but Angel kept him close with a strong embrace and continued to speak to the frightened Gardevoir face to face in a most unpleasant manner.

"…Then you have long, decorated sleeves and a collar that goes all the way up to your neck," said Angel with an evil smile, "A white bow with trailing ribbons, just above your waist, accents the back of your shimmering dress. There is layer after layer of soft, fluffy and white petticoats under your skirt." If there was time that Andre wished that just once, he could disappear without a trace, this was it.

"The satin and the fluffy tulle feels so wonderful on your body," said Angel, "And finally, you're locked into your pretty dress with white laces on the back of your dress with bronze loops. Then… at last… your transformation into a male ballerina IS… COMPLETE!!" Andre screamed as Angel erupted with foul, horrifying laughter. Angel held Andre close to her body, laughing the whole time at his face as the male Gardevoir desperately tried to squirm out of her tight embrace. Ramirez was standing outside the bedroom when he heard the bloodcurdling scream and Angel's evil laughter. Ramirez had followed after Angel to let her know that the Guardians would soon be arriving at the ballroom. He was glad he had gone after Angel after all.

"What on earth is she doing in there?" thought Ramirez as he threw open the bedroom door.

"Hello, Ramirez," said Angel nonchalantly and with a smile as Andre was still screaming and trying to get free from the sadistic, female Gardevoir's arms.

"I see everyone is ready to go," said Ramirez with an appreciative nod, looking over the other Gardevoirs and David as a grin spread over his face.

"Someone save me!!" shrieked Andre, "HEEEEELP!!"

"You're not going anywhere!" laughed Angel, "Now, you have to DANCE in the ballroom!" Andre continued to howl and scream.

"Get a grip, soldier!" snapped Cecil, "It would appear that ballroom dancing is going to be far less worse than ballet!!" Andre finally stopped screaming.

"Oh," said Andre as he finally stopped struggling. Angel slowly let Andre free from her bear hug embrace.

"Is everyone ready to go now?" asked Angel with a sweet smile.

"Yes!" said the wide-eyed Eric, Alvin, Cecil, Andre and David all at once. Ramirez laughed quietly to himself.

"Well, let's get out there and on the dance floor," said Ramirez, "Mack and Aura should be coming downstairs any moment now." The relief Guardian was correct as Mack had finally gathered enough courage to show his face in public as he wore his shimmering, dark green dress. Aura was leaning against her handsome mate and smiling blissfully.

"You're enjoying this too much," said Mack, glancing at his delighted wife. Aura just flashed Mack a smile as they walked down the hallway and towards the ballroom. Meanwhile, Agatha had just finished the preparations for the banquet. The master chef admired the three large tables, covered with fancy food, all while keeping a close eye on Gremlin and William.

"Don't you two burglars even think about stealing this food," said Agatha with an evil smile on her face.

"No need to remind me," said Gremlin with a loud gulp, "I'm going to wait until after everyone else has been served."

"I'm not hungry anyway!" said a fearful William.

"Very good," said Agatha, glancing at Simon as he stood on her left, "Thanks for the help."

"Anytime," said Simon with a polite bow. Just then, the large double doors of the ballroom swung open as Mack and Aura stepped into the ballroom. The Gardevoirs and their mates erupted into loud cheers and applause, clearing a path so the Guardians could go join the rest of their family at the other end of the ballroom. At that same moment, Ramirez and Angel appeared from the opposite doors with Eric, Alvin, Cecil, Andre and David in tow. Mack was blushing from embarrassment, but he soon started to laugh loud and hard when he saw the ex-Cipher members smiling and blushing nervously in their own ball gowns. The crowd became quiet as Mack, Aura and the rest of their friends stood behind Glacian, wearing a dark purple ball gown, and Gloria, donning a shimmering and sparkling bright red gown. The two monarchs, wearing their golden crowns, stepped forward, hand-in-hand.

"I wish to welcome all of you to the first weekly meeting of the Ballroom Club!" announced Glacian with a bright smile. Again, the Gardevoirs and Gallades cheered and applauded. They became silent the moment their queen started to speak.

"This is a time for dancing and just having fun and relaxing with your mates," said Gloria happily, "We hope you will all join us here each Friday from now on to dance with us."

"Now, I believe it is time we got this party underway," said Glacian as he turned his gaze to a small Gardevoir orchestra in the back, left corner of the ballroom. The Gardevoir conductor smiled and nodded his head as he faced the Pokémon musicians. Glacian faced his beloved wife, held her right hand in his left hand and then tenderly placed his right hand on Gloria's waist. Gloria giggled as he placed her left hand on Glacian's right shoulder. The band's conductor started to move his baton and instantly, fine music filled the room. Glacian and Gloria started to dance in time with the music and only a few minutes passed before every Gardevoir and Gallade in the ballroom was dancing with their mates. Ramirez and Angel couldn't help but stare at each other's faces as they drifted about the ballroom together, deeply in love.

"Less than a year to go Angel," said Ramirez tenderly. Angel blushed and smiled at her mate to be. Gremlin and William sat still on the sidelines, watching the Gardevoirs and Gallades as they danced in their stunning and beautiful attire. Gremlin was just waiting for the right moment, for he had a special present for Enrique and Anna.

"What's that big book under your arm for?" asked a curious William. Gremlin grinned at the inquisitive Pikachu.

"You'll see," replied Gremlin with a soft cackle, "This is something I whipped up just for the newlyweds." Gremlin pointed at the two delighted Gardevoirs in pink and dark red ball gowns. As for Andre and his comrades, they had hoped their ordeal would soon be over, but Glacian had other ideas. After the first several dances, the Gardevoirs eagerly lined up to partake of a fine, late-evening meal. It was at this time when Glacian made his intentions fully known to the nervous Gardevoirs and Mewtwo.

"Eric, Alvin, Cecil, Andre and David," said Glacian softly as the nervous male Pokémon got in line for some of the fabulous food, "I would like all of you to come with me for a moment."

"Okay," said Eric, shrugging his shoulders. Somehow, he and the rest of his ex-Cipher friends had managed to avoid going on the dance floor or even drawing much attention to themselves for the last half an hour, but that was all about to change. The four Gardevoirs and David followed Glacian and Gloria to the furthest area of the ballroom where they saw five smiling female Gardevoirs in a line against the wall. Glacian smiled as he turned around to face his guests.

"I think it is high time you all started to get more comfortable around the opposite gender," said Glacian with a friendly smile.

"Is this some sort of a blind date?" asked a worried Andre.

"As a matter of fact, yes," replied Glacian, "You may not remember, but out of compassion, I did welcome all of you in as members of the Olympus royal family. Therefore, due to the fact that our family has dwindled down over the years, it is the duty of every member of the royal family to find a mate."

"You're not going to marry us tonight, are you?!" asked a terrified Andre. Glacian and Gloria laughed while the single female Gardevoirs blushed and giggled at Andre's outburst.

"No Gardevoir or Gallade is ever going to be forced to marry!" laughed Glacian, "Nonetheless, I want you to all be courteous and try to have a nice evening with these nice, young ladies." The five female Gardevoirs smiled and offered a curtsey.

"I'm Sandra," said the Gardevoir in a light green gown.

"My name is Ariel," giggled a Gardevoir in a bright red gown while the Gardevoir in the middle of a group, wearing a bright yellow gown said, "My name is Jenifer."

"You can call me Serene," said the Gardevoir in the light blue gown while the Gardevoir in the bright pink dress said with a cheerful voice, "My name is Victoria. Nice to meet you!"

"I'm Elizabeth," said the last Gardevoir on the far right, donning a light violet ball gown. Though they were extremely nervous, Eric, Alvin, Cecil, Andre and David bowed politely out of respect towards the delighted female Gardevoirs.

"They already know who you are," said Glacian as the two groups of Gardevoirs and one Mewtwo stood up straight once again, "Now, how about each of you young ladies pick out a dancing partner for the night?" In less than a minute, Elizabeth had decided to dance with David, Sandra chose Alvin, Ariel picked Eric, Jenifer decided to chose Cecil while Vitoria stood next to Andre as he nervously trembled uncontrollably.

"Very nice!" giggled Gloria. Glacian smiled at the Gardevoirs and their dancing partners.

"I want all of you to get to know each other and have a great time dancing together. Maybe some of you will want to dance together next week?" suggested Glacian. The female Gardevoirs smiled as they held hands with their new acquaintances.

"So," said Victoria as she eyed Andre, "Have you ever danced before?" Andre shook his head back and forth in reply.

"No, I haven't," said Andre bashfully.

"Well then," said Victoria sweetly, "How about I show you? The next song is about to begin."

"Okay," said Andre, shrugging his shoulders. Glacian was delighted when he saw the five couples join the rest of the Gardevoirs and Gallades on the dance floor for another waltz. Simon, having witnessed the entire ordeal that had just unfolded before him, was very thankful that he was just a visitor and not a citizen of Olympus.

"I've got my eyes on you, King," thought Simon, glaring at Glacian from the other side of the ballroom, "You'll not have me under your thumb, ordering me into a blind date with some random love-struck Gardevoir." Glacian met Simon's eyes from across the room, and although he didn't speak, Simon got the impression that Glacian was laughing at him. Unnerved by this, Simon made a hasty and unnoticed retreat behind the service tables.

"Well?" asked Gloria, winking at her husband, "What are we standing around for?"

"Indeed," said Glacian with chuckle, "I think we're the only Gardevoirs not dancing right now. That is a problem we must remedy at once."

"Indeed we should, my dear Glacian," said Gloria with a blissful smile. With that, the Gardevoir king led his queen onto the dance floor. The hours ticked by and midnight was soon approaching. During one of the last dances, Mack and Aura finally noticed that their ex-Cipher friends had actually come onto the dance floor and they were each dancing with a nice female Gardevoir. Mack and Aura carefully twirled and seemed to glide over the dance floor towards Glacian and Gloria.

"Are you trying to get those guys mates, or something?" asked Mack with a grin. Glacian grinned back at the Guardian as he danced with Gloria.

"Maybe…" was Glacian's reply in a sinister tone of voice. When the clock finally struck 12, the Gardevoirs and their mates enjoyed one last, slow dance together. For Andre and his friends, this night had started out to be one of the worst they could remember, but now, even Andre was no longer nervous and was actually having a good time with Victoria.

"You're actually a pretty good dancer," giggled Victoria with a bright smile on her face, "I hardly had to teach you anything." Andre blushed deeply while Victoria erupted with warm laughter. Just then, the Gardevoir conductor waved his baton for the last time of the night as the last dance came to a slow and pleasant end. Again, Glacian addressed the crowd of now-tired dancers.

"I want to thank all of you for coming and making the first meeting of the new Ballroom Club a wonderful success!" said Glacian loudly as his voiced echoed in the massive ballroom, "I hope you will all join us next week. Best of all, this club is going to meet at six o' clock in the evening next time, so we can all enjoy more time dancing together."

"You all have a wonderful night and anyone who wants to spend the night here in the mansion has Warren's permission to do so," said Gloria. With that, the Gardevoirs and their mates said goodbye to one another before leaving the ballroom and walking out of the mansion before teleporting back to Olympus. Only a dozen or so male Gardevoirs took their mates up in their arms and then carried them away towards the empty bedrooms in the mansion. Little time passed before the royal family, as well as Angel, were now on their own in the massive and quiet ballroom. Eric, Alvin, Cecil, Andre and David bid their friends goodnight before escorting their new dancing partners out of the ballroom. Glacian was delighted to see his ex-Cipher friends had actually enjoyed the night dancing with the five young female Gardevoirs.

"That was the most fun I've had in so long," said Aurora with a blissful sigh as she leaned against Alexander.

"Indeed," said Glacian with a smile and a yawn, "Looks like our little weekly dancing group is going to do very well."

"You know we're looking forward to next week," said a happy Fredrick as he held Sakura close.

"Now then," said Glacian, turning to face Mack and Aura, "What did you find in Alvin's old facility?" Another half an hour dragged on as Mack and Aura told Glacian all that had happened from finding the facility stripped of raw materials, weapons and equipment to discovering soldiers in black armor.

"That's the story," said Mack, growing more and more tired.

"We really don't like what all transpired today," said Aura with a frown, "Everything in Alvin's nightmare came true."

"That is most troubling," said Glacian in a series tone of voice, "At least you managed to secure the Seismic Generator. I'm glad to know that horrid weapon is in good hands now." Gremlin looked up and noticed that the crowd of dancing Gardevoirs had dispersed. Now was the time to unveil his surprise for Enrique and Anna.

"Either way, there is nothing we can do for now," said Glacian, "We'll just have to be extra vigilant until we learn the identity of our new adversaries."

"There's no point in worrying," said Simon with a long yawn while he stretched his arms, "There's no reason why we can't relax and get some rest in the meantime."

"Before you all go to bed," said Gremlin happily, "Maybe you should take a look at this first!" The Sableye had what appeared to be a large and thick book under his left arm.

"Oh!" said Anna with a smile, "What do you have there, Gremlin?" The smiling Sableye motioned for everyone to gather close to him as he handed the book to Enrique and Anna.

"Gather 'round, everyone!" said Gremlin with triumph, "And bear witness to my belated wedding present for Prince Enrique and the beautiful Princess Anna!"

"Go ahead," said Enrique as soon as Anna had the heavy book in her hands, "You can open it." Anna smiled and slowly opened the front cover. She laughed at the first picture, covering the entire first page.

"What's this?" asked Alexander as he took a closer look. The picture showed Sakura and Anna with another, very nervous female Gardevoir who was dressed up as a bride.

"Hey! That's Alana!" laughed Ramirez as he wrapped his left arm around Angel, "I know that wedding ensemble anywhere!" Simon did his best not to blush or draw any attention to himself as the group of smiling Gardevoirs gazed at one picture after another from the day 'Alana' had come to visit Gardev.

"That turkey dinner was the best I'd ever had," remarked Glacian, "I wonder who the lucky Gardevoir or Gallade is who will have her hand in marriage?" Simon glared at Gremlin.

"What?" asked Gremlin, trying to pretend he was innocent.

"How did you get those pictures?" demanded Simon angrily.

"Simple!" cackled Gremlin, "I hid in the shadows and used a great digital camera that Paul let me have in return for dealing with the rodent problems at his store."

"You scared them all away, didn't you?" giggled Angel. Gremlin looked up and grinned at Angel.

"Sometimes I'm just too much!" said Gremlin, turning his gaze upon Simon, "You should have been there, Simon! I'm sure you and Alana would have been lovers in no time!"

"How… how dare you!!" sputtered Simon while Anna laughed.

"Thank you so much, Gremlin," said Anna with immense delight, "I shall treasure these pictures forever."

"Heh!" scoffed Gremlin, "You're just getting started! Keep flipping through that book. The rest of those pictures are from your wedding." For several more minutes, the group of Pokémon eagerly looked through the large photo album. Without being seen, Gremlin had captured such sweet moments as Enrique and Anna, trading bites of wedding cake, the bouquet and garter toss as well as the young couple's first dance together as mates.

"You're a natural photographer!" said Anna with immense joy, "Thank you so much!"

"You're very welcome, princess. The album is for you and Enrique to enjoy," said Gremlin with a polite bow, "Now; may I please borrow it for a moment?"

"What?" said a baffled Anna, "I've only had this photo album in my hands for a few minutes and you want it back already?"

"Not for long," said Gremlin and he got on his knees and looked up at Anna with pleading eyes, "Please?"

"Alright," said Anna with a grin, "You can borrow it." Gremlin walked back to the other end of the ballroom and opened the photo book right in front of William.

"Look here William!" said Gremlin in an excited tone of voice, "There was this sweet little female Pikachu at Enrique and Anna's wedding! You and her surely would have liked each other a lot! You could have danced with her, too!" William growled with anger as weak static bolts lanced off his red cheeks.

"Gremlin!!" shouted William with embarrassment and anger. The group of Gardevoirs and other Pokémon erupted with laughter.

"Now the evening is complete!" said a laughing Glacian.

"I agree," giggled Gloria, "Now, Glacian my dear, how about we spend the night here in the mansion?"

"Works for me," said Glacian as he took his smiling and blushing mate in his arms. He took a few steps forward, glanced back at the married members of his family and then said, "Follow my lead!" With that, Alexander, Mack, Fredrick and Enrique took their lovely wives up in their arms and proceeded to carry them out of the ballroom. Now, only Ramirez and Angel remained in the ballroom. Warren had gone to bed hours ago and Agatha was just finishing cleaning up the food and dishes. William followed slowly after the royal Gardevoir couples, muttering under his breath and wishing he could forget all about what had happened on Enrique and Anna's wedding day. Ramirez smiled and embraced Angel one last time for the night.

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow then, won't I?" asked Ramirez.

"At the same coffee shop, I hope?" asked a happy Angel.

"Of course," said Ramirez as he held Angel tightly, "You have a good night, my love."

"You too, Ramirez," said Angel with delight, "Just think Ramirez. Soon, you and I will get to go to bed and sleep together every night." The Gardevoir lovers blushed and hugged each other one last time. They jumped when they saw a bright flash. They laughed when they turned their heads and saw Gremlin standing a few yards away with the camera aimed at them.

"See you tomorrow," said Ramirez with a smile as he released Angel from his embrace and slowly left the ballroom with a smile on his face, "I want a copy of that picture, Gremlin!"

"Yes, sir!" said Gremlin with a salute. Angel followed after Ramirez and Gremlin tagged along. Once outside, Angel watched her mate to be as he spread his wings, flapped them vigorously and then flew into the night sky, flying off towards Mt. Ivory.

"Looking forward to having wings, eh, Angel?" asked Gremlin. Angel laughed with delight.

"Oh, yes!" said Angel as she twirled with her black dress sparkling brightly in the moonlight, "You're right on, Gremlin."

"That's what I thought," said Gremlin, "So, would you like me to take pictures at your wedding, too?" Angel gasped and quickly looked down at the smiling Sableye.

"You mean it?!" she asked with hope.

"Of course," said a grinning Gremlin, "It would be my pleasure."

"In that case, do you think you could do me a little favor?" asked Angel sweetly and with a friendly smile.


	27. Section 27

The Village Guardians

**-83-**

The next morning, the Gardevoir seamstresses were back in Angel's shop and back to work. Now that wedding season was over, the young female Gardevoirs could finally take it easy. It would not be until the next spring when the demand for wedding attire would be very high once again. During the summer, the seamstresses would work from dawn 'til dusk together on an average of 200 or more wedding dresses per year.

"It sure is nice to have a break," said Victoria with a smile.

"No kidding!" giggled Ariel, "Now we won't have to work so hard and so fast until next wedding season."

"Speaking of weddings," said Jenifer with a blissful smile as she picked up a large piece of the soft and strong white Gardevoir satin, "I think Glacian set us up with some nice men."

"I think so, too!" said Victoria as she blushed, "Andre was so sweet and such a good dancer, as well!"

"I can just close my eyes and see me and David, that handsome Mewtwo, as we twirled for hour after hour in our lavish ball gowns…" said Elizabeth with a blissful smile on her face, "He even said he wanted to dance with me next week!"

"The same thing goes for Cecil and I," giggled Jenifer, "He looked so… wonderful in his shimmering, dark blue dress."

"Maybe our new boyfriends will trade in those ball gowns for wedding dresses next year?" asked an excited Victoria. The five female Gardevoirs laughed out loud.

"Well, maybe that will happen… just maybe," said Jenifer with glee. At that moment, they heard the bell at the front door of the shop ring. The five seamstresses gasped when they saw Angel slowly walk into the large shop, still wearing her sparkling black dress. Angel smiled at her coworkers as she sat down in a chair at one of the workstations.

"Good morning, everyone!" said a delighted Angel.

"Good morning, Angel!" said the other five Gardevoirs happily.

"I see you all had a wonderful night last night with your new boyfriends," remarked a smiling Angel.

"Say, where were you last night, Angel?" asked Victoria, "We didn't see you anywhere at the dance."

"I'd like to know why you're still wearing your ball gown," said Sandra, "Though I must say it looks very cute on you."

"I just didn't want to take off this lovely dress after such a wonderful evening. I was there at the dance, alright," said Angel with a sly grin, "But maybe you all were too busy with your new love interests to notice me and my date." The female Gardevoirs blushed deeply and giggled happily.

"Say, who did you dance with?" asked Jenifer. Angel smiled as she stood up and shook her fluffy skirt a few times to even out the black petticoats underneath the sparkling fabric.

"I have an idea. Why don't you all come back to my office with me for a moment?" asked Angel with a friendly smile, "I have something special I want to show all of you." The five eager seamstresses nodded their heads, stood up all at once and then followed Angel to the back of the huge sewing shop. They were wondering just what kind of surprise their boss had in store for them. Angel whistled a nameless tune as she turned the brass knob on her office door. Sandra, Victoria, Ariel, Jenifer and Elizabeth all gasped when they saw what was hanging on the back wall of Angel's office. There was a pair of wedding dresses on white hangers. The two dresses were exactly like what Mack and Aura now had, except the groom's dress had hundreds of small emeralds and diamonds to accent the exquisite embroidery while the embroidery on the bride's dress was covered with a few thousand shiny black garnet stones and diamonds. The shimmering and sparkling wedding dresses were absolutely stunning and beautiful. Angel smiled as she stepped in front of the five delighted Gardevoirs to take another good look at her handiwork.

"Angel, these are amazing!" declared Victoria.

"Those dresses are surely fit for royalty!" giggled Sandra.

"Say," said Ariel as she glanced at Angel's back, "Who are these wonderful dresses for anyway?" Angel stared straight ahead as an evil smile spread across her face, unseen by her coworkers.

"Didn't I tell you? I must have forgotten," said Angel. Now, she was finally going to get back at the seamstresses for all the years they had hounded her about getting a husband.

"Tell us what?" asked Elizabeth eagerly.

"I'm getting married next summer," said Angel, still with the mischievous smile on her face.

"You're getting married?! That's wonderful!" exclaimed Sandra.

"Who's the lucky Gardevoir?" asked Victoria.

"Or did you find a wonderful Gallade to marry?" asked Ariel as a grin spread across her face. Angel giggled sinisterly.

"I'm going to marry Prince Ramirez," said Angel, savoring her imminent revenge, "The Guardian of Gardev." Angel glanced over her left shoulder: the shocked and envious looks on the seamstresses' faces were priceless and something the young Gardevoir would remember for the rest of her life. Especially since Gremlin was hiding in a dark corner of the office, completely unnoticed, taking pictures with his new camera.

**-The End…-**

**-To Be Continued in The Village Guardians Chapter #3- The Lost Love-**


End file.
